# How does Little Caesar develop the theme of Fate and Inevitability?

> Little Caesar by W. R. Burnett

## Answer

Little Caesar by W. R. Burnett develops Fate and Inevitability across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.

The novel's epigraph from Machiavelli and the characters' frequent reflections on luck and doom suggest a fatalistic worldview, where past actions and the criminal life lead inexorably to ruin.

Machiavelli's assertion of a 'first law' of self-preservation suggests an inexorable natural order, hinting at the fatalistic trajectory of the characters.

Seal Skin's prediction that Rico will be killed ('They get 'em all') underscores a fatalistic view of the gangster's life.

Tony's mother's warning that his association with crooks will lead to trouble foreshadows his eventual fate.

## Evidence

- [epigraph](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/little_caesar_se/chapters/epigraph.md): Machiavelli's assertion of a 'first law' of self-preservation suggests an inexorable natural order, hinting at the fatalistic trajectory of the characters.
- [part-i-iii](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/little_caesar_se/chapters/part-i-iii.md): Seal Skin's prediction that Rico will be killed ('They get 'em all') underscores a fatalistic view of the gangster's life.
- [part-i-iv](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/little_caesar_se/chapters/part-i-iv.md): Tony's mother's warning that his association with crooks will lead to trouble foreshadows his eventual fate.
- [part-vi-v](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/little_caesar_se/chapters/part-vi-v.md): Sam's lethargy and refusal to flee, despite Scabby's urging, suggest an acceptance of his inevitable downfall.
- [part-vi-vi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/little_caesar_se/chapters/part-vi-vi.md): Rico's realization that his rise is over and he is now a hunted man underscores the inescapable consequences of his criminal life.
- [part-vii-iii](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/little_caesar_se/chapters/part-vii-iii.md): Rico reflects on his rise and fall, seeing the robbery of Casa Alvarado as both making and breaking him, and accepts Sam Vettori's fate as inevitable.
- [part-vii-v](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/little_caesar_se/chapters/part-vii-v.md): Rico's return to Toledo and his sense of being trapped reflect the inescapable consequences of his past actions.

## Links

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