Seventeen-year-old Joaquin Duran, nicknamed "Keeny," is a confused youth who struggles, despite the hopelessness of his environment, to preserve his instinctive hunger for success. The ugliness and neglect prevalent in the landscape have distorted Keeny's view of life. For Keeny, family life consists of a succession of criminal stepfathers, and the educational system reflects the management of cynical bureaucrats.

In such a climate, even the good intentions of Mr. Baker, the perceptive social worker, are unlikely to change the course of a boy's life. Indeed, Keeny's own view of life convinces him that he is trapped like a rat and that there is no point in struggling to overcome his lot and make something of himself. Keeny's efforts to better his environment and himself are quickly squashed by reality.

Because of Keeny's criminal record, which dates back to when he was seven years old...