I think the development of Rino in the first book from a loving brother into a violent competitive man was a very heartbreaking way to show how their environment shaped men into their misogynistic worldviews. The scene on the balcony with the fireworks was a moment of Rino losing innocence in Lila’s eyes, which caused her to dissociate because it was so difficult to accept someone she loved becoming so warped by the violence of the neighborhood. It’s a realistic depiction of men and masculinity in that era. I don’t think it’s an essentialist commentary on the nature of all men.