Why does Andy take off his jacket?

Andy takes off his jacket for two reasons. First, he wants to die as Andy (an individual), rather than as a generic member of a violent gang. Second, Andy believes that the jacket is the reason his life has been forfeit. If he had not been wearing the jacket, a member of the Guardians (a rival gang) would never have stabbed him. He takes off the jacket because he hates what it led to: his impending death.
We are first introduced to Andy at the beginning of the story. In fact, he is the dominant figure in the entire story. The text tells us that Andy was fatally stabbed by a member of the Guardians. As his life ebbs away, he longs for Laura (his presumed lover or girlfriend). Eventually, a drunk finds him in the alleyway.
However, the drunk does nothing to help Andy. Because there is blood in his throat, Andy cannot speak intelligibly. He lies in his blood and suffers. The next party that chances upon him is a young couple (Freddie and Angela). When they see that he is bleeding, they are at a loss. Freddie deduces (from Andy's jacket) that the latter is a member of the Royals. He worries that the Guardians will come down hard on anyone who helps a wounded Royal. In the end, Freddie and Angela leave without helping Andy.
The story ends with Andy's body being found by Laura and a police officer. Even though Laura tells the police officer that her boyfriend's name was Andy, the officer refers to the dead young man as a Royal. Despite his desperate attempts to die as an individual, Andy is still identified as a gang member after his death.

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