For those of you who are new to this series, you are about to enter into a complicated, complex, messy narrative. This is not your run-of-the-mill television series: this is not Glee, this is not Seinfeld, this is not The Closer. You will be thrust into a story that has three distinct story lines: 1. The efforts of the Baltimore police to take down a drug dealer named Marlo Stanfield and his organization; 2. The mayoral race between the incumbent and an ambitious young white city councilman ("white" included here only because Baltimore, as you will quickly see, is a predominantly black city); 3. The way four middle school boys navigate their way through school and the world they live in--the poor West Side of Baltimore. What will interest us, among many things, in our discussion of this series is how these three distinct stories come together: how they become, in effect, one story.
That's just for starters, though. This is the fourth season of the series, so much has happened before it begins. We'll be talking about this, too, whenever anything is not clear because of what has happened previously in the series (there will be a lot of this at first: less as we go on). But to get you started on the background of this season, please watch the following recaps and read the synopses of the seasons here on Wikipedia. Doing this will help. So...
Season One:
Season Two:
Season Three:
Now that you have both read the synopses and viewed the recaps, I would like you to answer the following questions here on the blog:
1. Your reaction to what you have read and watched--in particular, what jumps out at you about this show from this introduction to it? What grabbed you--what intrigued you?
2. What jumped out at you from today's conversation in class? Any particular point or comment or concept that stayed with you, that got you thinking?
3. Finally: here is the opening of Season Four which introduces us to Snoop and her partner Chris Partlow, killers for Marlo Stanfield, drug king of West Baltimore. What is your reaction to this scene? How does it get this season going in terms of the theme of education?
Write a couple hundred words answering these three questions. Be sure to have them done by the beginning of school tomorrow. Tomorrow we will begin the season.
Evan Gold
ReplyDeleteThe Wire
One thing that really jumps out at me after watching the recaps is that as soon as one thinks they know what is going on something changes drastically. The main plot is about police trying to take down drug dealers, but there are multiple storylines under the main plot that are also going. I personally really enjoy series that challenge me to predict what happens next. Most TV shows are predictable and for the most part fit into some genre. I think The Wire is its own genre.
My favorite part of the discussion in class was the talk we had about whether The American Dream is a myth or not. It really made me think about all of the kids who live in poorer income families that will not have the opportunities I will have in life. The bottom line is no one chooses who they are born to. I think that David Simon is only partially right when he says that The American Dream is a Myth. I think that it has defiantly worked for some people, but it also does not work for some.
I love how one’s first impression of Snoop is that she’s a poor thug, maybe even a man. I was very surprised when she pulled out a stack of one hundred dollar bills from her pocket and gave them to the sales clerk like they were nothing. I also think it is interesting how the sales clerk reacts to Snoops language. It almost seemed like he was used to it. In the beginning I had a hard time understanding what snoop said. This scene was defiantly a good hook to start the season.
The kind of fast paced editing used to make these season summaries is a little hard to follow for me. keeping in mind what little background i have on the show, most of the time I couldn't tell who I supported. My allegiance switched between the street and prison communities and the group of police officers who seek to eradicate them. I could make a sympathetic argument for either. Another striking feature of these clips is that there is a definitive game being played. Cat and mouse between the cops and dealers. That in itself is not outstanding, but the nature of the game is. I don't think that there was a moment in all of the recaps when someone questioned what they were doing, cop or dealer. They seems stuck in a lifestyle that is just as inescapable as it is dangerous. KIlling, death, prison are all givens, but are portrayed as a necessary risk to scrape out a drug trade which comes across as intrinsic with an income.
ReplyDeleteJohn's description of the series as stuck between two myths was especially interesting to me as was the discussion that followed on this topic. It's an artistic accomplishment to have your series described in such a way. This started my mind down what are the other myths that i've bought into in my lifetime. Myths both connected to the "American way of life" and in other areas. Our discussion of poverty and the betrayal of the poor by the wealthy/government was interesting when contrasted with the clips just shown. None of the characters seems angry with the higher powers. There wasn't even a hint of dialogue/monologue that would condem the government/wealth which seemed to come across consistently in our discussions as the bad guys. It seems that this show, like many other film commentaries, isn't going to be explicit in it's consideration of the second myth mentioned in the discussion. The commentary is going to be there, just laid out on a platter is the feeling i glean from the recaps.
Firstly the opening clip of season 4 jumps right into the storyline, you don't know why she is buying the nail gun (although you can make your assumptions). I tend to like these kinds of beginnings. They allow you to make your assumptions, try and figure out what you can then the filmmaker has the option to blow those assumptions away making your discoveries even more pronounced. The moment that snoop starts talking about what calibre of bullets can kill (cops i think it was) she becomes a sort of oddity in the nice clean department store with a knowledgeable presumably suburban guy. The way his face contorts is a pretty clear indicator that he wasn't expecting this. Snoop's excitement over the kind of hardware she is buying makes her seem like any run of the mill kid until she talks about shooting people. Then some of her background becomes clearer.
John alluded to in class the fact that none of the characters in the show can be typified as completely bad or good and after reviewing the previous seasons, I would have to agree. The story line that seemed the most thought provoking was the one in season three centering around Major Colvin when he decides to legalize drugs in certain areas and his plan works, but politics force the program to be shut down. I think this story line calls into question the current political and social structure. It shows how personal preservation can take precedence over helping those one ought to be serving as shown by the politicians who immediately shut down Colvin’s structure after the other mayoral candidate uses it as a political issue. They fail to focus on the clear positive benefits of Colvin’s plan and instead abandon it the minute it comes under negative scrutiny. On the other hand, Colvin sanctions the selling of drugs which is the center of the violence and problems throughout the show. He disregards the law he is supposed to uphold and instead believes he knows a better way. I think it is difficult to decide that either side is completely correct and I think that is why this show can be powerful because it poses questions without providing easy answers.
ReplyDeleteI think the discussion over whether the American dream applied to all Americans really made me think because I found myself unable to definitely say “no”, even though I agree with others who stated that as their opinion, and I have finally concluded that it is because of the implications of stating that the American dream does not apply to all Americans. To me, saying that means there is now hope for people who are born without as much as others, something they cannot help. I think I falter at that point because it is such a bleak thought that I struggle to immediately agree with it and hope to find some proof that this is not necessarily true.
I think the opening scene of season four sets up the plotline of education through the salesman’s willingness to sell Snoop the gun without really listening to what she was saying. After Snoop’s speech about killing others with a gun that was powered with less, I think the salesman knows her intent with the gun (though it is equally possible that he has no idea what she is saying and feels no need to as long as she produces the money). The salesman only wishes to receive the money and does not bother to with the seemingly sinister motivations for using the gun as long as he gets what he wants. I think this could link to education because of the willingness of bureaucrats to ignore messy situations such as the poor situation of schools as long as they continue to maintain their power.
The first thing I noticed while watching and reading the synopses for season 1, 2 and 3 was how many characters there are in the show. I haven’t watched The Wire before and it was hard for me to put names to faces. However, one thing that jumped out to me was the part when the white councilmen said he wants to run for mayor, but he is told he is the wrong color. This was interesting to me because I am used to seeing white males as the majority in politics. Another thing that caught my attention was the power that Omar wielded in the community. The scene where he just stands below someone’s window and they throw drugs at him shows just how influential he is. Also, Stringer’s deception of D’Angelo and Avon intrigued me because, from what I read, I didn’t understand why he went behind their backs. Was it for money? Power?
ReplyDeleteBefore the discussion today, I hadn’t really thought about whether or not the American Dream was available to all people. However, the understanding that you don’t always get what you work for and deserve and that life isn’t fair got me thinking about what I would do if I was stuck in “the bilge”. Without the hope of something better or a goal to work towards, I think I would be very unmotivated to try hard or make moral decisions. If the American Dream is a lie, what should we believe in? Another thing that stuck with me from the discussion was the point that our capitalistic system leads to competition and greed. It made me question the idea that we want everyone to succeed. Our society encourages people to strive to be better than their peers and doesn’t encourage helping each other and creating equality as greatly.
I thought this scene was pretty funny. When she first walks into the store, I wasn’t sure if she was a woman or a man. When she started talking to the clerk, it seemed like a normal interaction. But, when she mentioned calibers of guns and shooting people, the clerk was clearly taken aback. When she pulled out the stack of money to pay the sales clerk for the nail gun there was definitely a power shift. Before, the clerk appeared to have more authority, but when Snoop pulled out the wad of bills, she gained the power in the situation. The scene shows how the clerk had made assumptions about Snoop based on the way she talked and dressed, maybe assuming she wasn’t as educated as he was and therefore not as well off. When he sees she has a great deal of money, it surprises him and doesn’t fit his expectations. I think this is a great opening scene for the series because it is funny while also being intriguing because you don’t know why exactly she is buying a nail gun. It makes me want to watch the rest of the episodes!
John DuBose
ReplyDeleteThe Wire
1) One of the many things that I was intrigued by was the shifts of power in the show. I think this was intentional by the makers of the show. They make it seem like no one is safe, and that is an accurate position. It keeps the watcher on their toes, because they don’t know what to expect. All that the people watching the show know is if a character is involved in the main issue of the story, that character will face some form of controversy, trouble, or even danger sometime in that season. That being said, the power shifts back and forth between people because no one can really get to the bottom of things. This means that someone seems to have the upper hand for one episode, and then they lose it. This adds to the curiosity of the show and is true in the real world.
2) My favorite part of class was the discussion about whether or not the American Dream was accurate or not. I think that this is an interesting topic because we want for the American Dream to be true. We were always told as little kids that if your put in work you see results. You want for people to believe that, simply because it’s fair. If you work hard you succeed. If you don’t work hard, you don’t succeed. I think that the reason this idea hasn’t been shot down like it should is because people want to believe in it, so most overlook the untrue parts.
3) I had to watch this scene twice just to understand it. At the end, I knew that Snoop wasn’t buying the nail gun for just construction. We don’t know what she’ll use with it. I did like how the employee and she had a cordial conversation. He didn’t assume anything from her off of stereotypes, even though at the end he was very taken aback when she gave him $800. This shows what kind of city Baltimore is. And Snoop appears to be very young. The education enforcement must not be that strong if she is out of school.
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ReplyDelete1. Personally, what jumps out the most from the introduction to this show is that there are many social issues that are brought up, and not only that, but it is a real, raw, sublime portrayal of the social issues. It is also really apparent that there is corruption everywhere with everyone, and there is no way to differentiate that corruption between government officials and the “criminals”. Which makes me question if there really is a difference? It is intriguing to think about how all these different people and stories are intertwined, and how one person’s next move is somewhat dependant on the other persons. This show almost presents a smaller scale of a game that everybody in society plays.
ReplyDelete2. In class today I thought it was interesting to think about the question of whether or not the American dream is available to everyone. I strongly believe no, but listening to other people struggle with a straight forward answer of either yes or no really surprised me. Although, I started thinking about it more and I can see why people would want to believe that it is available to everyone, because if people did not believe that it was obtainable then the drive to continue the good deeds are hard work would be miniscule, and our average people would lose their motivation. Which was also another interesting point brought up in class today, the question about what drives average people to continue their average lifestyle, and I believe that, their drive comes from the arguably unrealistic belief that maybe if they keep working a little bit harder they can obtain something better, or the American dream.
3. This scene is very realistic to how people encountering Snoop would react. In the beginning when the women glances back at Snoop uncomfortably, and how the salesmen questions if she understands him ties in with the theme of education, because he is questioning her mental capacity of understanding. Although, this scene got me questioning what type of specific education or mental capacity is important to have, to survive and make it in America. Snoop who talked poorly with baggy clothes was able to pay $800 to a salesman who talked well and was seemingly more educated, yet was in no position financially like Snoop. How is it that Snoop is able to obtain that much money seemingly being less educated then the salesman? This scene made me wonder what kind of education really is important. I believe that it is the education of street smarts that really separates people. Whatever the case the debate over being educated with what smarts seems like it might be crucial theme in The Wire this season.
1. The thing between the three seasons that I thought was most interesting were the struggles within the police force. There were multiple instances of betrayal and deception. Often times in shows based heavily around cops, the cops appear very perfect and laking in conflict in their own lives. "The Wire" clearly does not feed into that show stereotype. The other thing that was surprising to me was that in the third season the idea of legalizing drugs becomes a major topic. To put something like that on a television show, a cop show at that, is quite surprising to me and really proves this is not just your typical cop show.
ReplyDelete2. The American Dream is something that we've been told about our whole life, it's something that we have just come to believe. So I thought it was really interesting when the discussion of does everyone have the chance at the American Dream question came up, how the room kind of split. We almost all agreed that the answer was NO and that not everyone did. The place where people began to split was how they said no. Some were more hesitant, which is completely understandable, who wants to admit that life isn't fair? That not everyone who works hard and does right is going to succeed? But some had no trouble saying no, it was almost as if these people have recognized this fact a long time ago and had long since excepted it and moved on. It was just fascinating to me the completely different directions a group of kids raised in similar environments and being similar ages, could go with the topic.
3. This scene made me laugh. I thought it was funny how she carried herself so smoothly, talking about killing people and what not like it was nothing. The change atmosphere was brilliant, when she walked din the salesman had no trouble walking up to her and trying to sell her his stuff, but as soon as she started talking about killing people and cursing like a sailor clearly the confidence was more prominent in Snoop. When she pulled out all that money, it certainly didn't hurt either.
As I was watching the synopses, I found the relationships between the characters to be intriguing. Obviously, with so many characters, there are a lot of different relationships, most of which are complicated and layered. It seemed as though a lot of characters felt a sense of obligation to someone, either to family members or those with higher political standing. At this point, I find it difficult to figure out exactly what motivates each character, but they all seem to depend on someone else, which is a potential weakness.
ReplyDeleteIn class today, we talked a lot about the American Dream, and I find it interesting to consider where the myth comes from and how it is shared and perpetuated. We discussed how a lot of it could have an institutional basis, which seems clearest from these clips as it concerns institutionalized classism. We also briefly mentioned the individual responsibility that we all have in accepting or rejecting this ideal. I think it is interesting to consider the American Dream from societal level as well as from the individual level.
I found the opening scene to be very surprising. I thought it was interesting that Snoop was a young person in a situation that most students at Paideia wouldn't find themselves in. From this clip alone, it's hard to say if the education system is to blame for a young person buying a nail gun capable of inflicting great harm, but it does go back to the discussion we had today about opportunities or the lack thereof and the influence that can have on one's plan for life. If nothing else, this scene certainly makes me curious about who Snoop is and how and why she arrived in that hardware store.
1. From having seen the first three seasons of the show, what I have always appreciated most about the writing of the show is the depth and moral ambiguity of most of the characters. Not only does Simon show us many different departments and section of Baltimore, he fills them with real people. Stringer Bell profited off of drugs and murder, but I was still sad about his death. The characters follow the rules that Simon sets, those of a corrupt and failing system/world. Even Cutty, who ends Season 3 somewhat victorious with the success of his gym, had to finance it with money gained from death and drugs. Just because he is a good man does not mean that he can accomplish his in a way completely free from the immorality of the world around him.
ReplyDelete2. My favourite part of the discussion today was about capitalism, whether there is a way to make the American Dream work within such a system, and if inequality can ever be truly overcome. While I’ve been watching the first three seasons of The Wire over the past few months, I’ve thought about it in terms of the failures and corruption of institutions but I never really thought of it as far as the foundation of our nation. I think it’s ironic that there could the true American Dream and the economic system of our nation could potentially not coexist. One aspect of the whole discussion that made me think twice was the fact that as middle to upper-middle class people who are probably going to pretty good colleges, we are, at least for the most part, very distanced from the social class and areas that we are and will continue discussing. When asked about an example of institutionalized racism/sexism, I had to draw from news sources or articles, I couldn’t think of a time that I had experienced anything like that in my daily life.
3. I liked the scene a lot, especially for the shift in power dynamics that Jen discussed in her post . The man at the store began the conversation with certain assumptions about Snoop, that much was obvious. He was trying to be polite but he still condescends, as he asks her if she understands what he is talking about. From his initial stand point, he seems to be the one who is better off in society. Once she pulls out the bills, the dynamics shift. Snoop gives him some extra money and bypasses store rules, leaving him to pay for her item. In terms of education, he is most likely the more traditionally educated of the two. However, Snoop seems to have found a way to level the playing field in some respects, coming out financially on top (through illegal means), not playing by the rules set by America and society.
1.The thing that stuck out the most for me was what the show seemed like from just the beginning of the 1st recap. The beginning seemed to me, like what it really isn't about. A cliché cop show. The thing that stuck out about it (that was different) was that the show was about the different story lines of the kids, the cops, and the drug lords. As the recap goes on i feel it presents more of the stories to us. Not just some cliché cop show, it is different perspectives of life.
ReplyDelete2. The topic that i remember most is the topic of how not everyone is born on a level playing field in terms of education. How it would be impossible to give everyone completely equal, good, education. Another thing that stuck with me that we talked about during class was the topic of if the people who commit theft are bad people. I am still grappling with this topic. The act of stealing from a hard-working neighbor, i think is evil, even if the person is tired of his lifestyle and feels the betrayal of the american dream not working. He/She should not steal from those who are "working their asses off" to survive, even if they have a want to fulfill.
3. I thought it was very interesting, the way it shows two different types of people conversing. The salesman seemed to understand everything she was saying, however, was very concerned when she talked about killing people with the nail gun. I thought it was pretty cool how she gave him $800 as if it were monopoly money. That overall, was a great scene to get an audience to become interested in the show.
1.The face value of the show makes it seem like a regular old cop show. However, when you look below the face value, and deeper into the topic it becomes much more complicated. It shows the different levels of human behavior, and how motives can change the way people act in certain situations and around certain crowds.
ReplyDelete2. The topic that struck me the most, was the one about how even one person can destroy the reputation of many. If someone steals and they are lower class people will make assumptions that all lower class must steal. Even though they may not be getting to the "American Dream", this pulls people further back than they have already started. Another topic that struck me was the one about education in America. I think, unfortunately, that education cannot become equal in the society we live in today. The way that the American education system works doesn't allow for this to happen. There will always be people who start further behind others, simply because of their economic circumstances and race and ethnicity.
3. I thought it was interesting how the salesman started out somewhat prejudiced toward Snoop. However, later the salesman almost respected Snoop for her knowledge of power tools. Their educations were different, his was a regular one, and Snoop's was a street education. But despite these differences in education, both found a common ground to talk on. Also, the salesman thinks he is more financially sound than Snoop, but when Snoop hands him eight hundred dollars to pay for the tools, this view is completely switched.
My attention was immediately grabbed when Snoop walked into the hardware store. Her intent expression was puzzling. As a character she is an anomaly, it took my full focus to determine whether she was female or male, bad or good, happy or unhappy. What I came to understand is that there is no simple answer when it comes to her as a character. Sometimes television characters are easy to comprehend. Their motives are clear and predictable. This show is different. And that is what stuck out to me about The Wire. These characters are complex and very real. Just like in life, it is impossible to judge someone at two ends of the spectrum. People are too complex. And these characters are people.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed our in class discussion yesterday. It was intellectually stimulating and I loved hearing everyone's perspectives. There were several points that made me think. One of them was related to the question of whether people are inherently good are evil. Are we a product of our environment? Or are we born some way? It is a complex thing to ponder. I tend to lean towards the concept that we are born a certain way but heavily shaped by our environment. So heavily in fact, that it can sometimes overshadow the way we were born. But I really don't know. It certainly made me think. I am looking forward to more in class discussions.
It seems that I have discussed the opening scene out of order. I addressed it in my first answer and connected it to the rest of the show. In addition to what I said above, the contrast between Snoop and the world of the hardware store was interesting. She is out of the ordinary as far as race, class, and gender go. Talking with the sales clerk, I could tell that she was really intelligent, if not in the traditional "book smart" sense of the word. I am looking forward to watching more of the show!
I was startled by the number of characters that are in this series. They weren't little petty characters either; there seemed to be about 20 or more characters, all playing significant roles. The discussion in class was informative, comparing and contrasting the rare people who are visionaries, and the hard working, not so gifted people. The main concept of the discussion that stood out to me was that life is not at all fair. Some people are born at the finish line, and others are born way behind the start of the race. It just happens. There is no 100% sure fire way to succeed in America, because anything can go wrong at any time. In the introduction to season 4, my immediate thought was that Snoop was the worker. I thought she was just carrying a nailgun because she was doing something with it at work, perhaps making a repair or something. When I saw the salesman walk up to her, I began to get intrigued, because the script was immediately flipped. I thought the conversation would be awkward, with the salesman thinking to himself that Snoop couldn't be more ignorant. However, as the conversation carried on, they were respectful of each other, and Snoop knew everything about the nailgun. Maybe the salesman had a good heart, or maybe he was just making a sale; whichever it was, he was very helpful, and I didn't sense one bit of sarcasm towards Snoop from him. The most surprising thing obviously was when Snoop pulled out her money and gave the salesman a $100 tip, "for his time". He was only with her for about a minute and a half. That made me respect Snoop even more, because that showed that she appreciated the man's help. Plus, who doesn't mind a $100 tip for one extra minute with a customer? This also could begin to introduce the concept of education, because it is apparent that Snoop's persona and demeanor show that she is from the rougher parts of the city. Even though she isn't from perhaps the same background as the salesman, she is still very smart. I'm sure even the salesman was surprised at her knowledge of the power tool. That just goes to show that you don't necessarily have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth to be smart. It was a great introduction, and looks as if it transitions smoothly into the theme of education.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t too surprised about anything but I was surprised to see the rawness of the characters in the show. One thing that jumped out to me was definitely the opening scene with Snoop and the clerk. I thought this series would start with some type of criminal act, then cops playing their roles in it all, but this interaction sort of threw a twist in what I expected to see. I came to the realization that these people live totally different lives and live their lives. What grabbed me were the social issues that are portrayed. The most interesting topic from the conversation in class was the American Dream. Some people felt that the American dream was available to everyone, and some disagreed that it was not available. I truly believe that the American Dream is definitely not available to everyone. I think that everyone can be successful in life but some people have it easier than others. Life is not fair in that one can work hard and not receive what one deserves. But another can be given opportunities possibly from ones background. I agree that people can use education to create for themselves but many people are not exposed to the same education as others. One point that stayed with me was that college creates many options and opportunities in the case of making connections, which makes total sense to me. The opening scene was not very surprising to me. What was surprising to me was that Snoop was buying an expensive nail gun. I couldn’t think of why she would want a nail gun but I later figured out as she spoke on it that she was going to use it to murder. I was also surprised on the knowledge that Snoop had on the nail gun. The clerk described this expensive nail gun and Snoop knew everything he was talking about. This scene shows two types of background/worlds in which education is key, but not necessarily beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the wire can be seen as a source of connecting these three distinct stories that would otherwise probably take place in three completely distinct shows on television which shows that they are building together-as my group decided-like individual twine in a wire to create one large wire thus creating a picture of Baltimore and perhaps American society. At the same time, it is only a thin strand that connects these three worlds because they operate separately though it is shown they deal with the same problems and parallels can be drawn between characters that have almost nothing in common such as Carcetti and Michael, but these worlds operate separately and it is impossible to enter into another world that is not your own as was shown with the interaction between Snoop and the store clerk.
ReplyDeleteI think Prez should have made them stay in class because now that he has let them go, the students will know to not take him seriously. The kids will realize he will not follow through with his punishments and thus will not see them as such. This was his moment to prove that everyone has to play by the rules, but instead he showed the kids that even if they do disrespect him, they will be able to escape without punishment. However, I think Prez has come a long way from the first day of school, and I think he will be able to gain the respect of the class even with his mistake because I think the kids recognize that he is sincerely trying to teach them, and they like him as was shown when they were leaving the school and helped him get into his car.
Though I thought Prez should have made the kids stay for detention, I do think it was right for him to accept Namond’s apology and that it was a sincere apology. I think if Namond had apologized while the kids were trying to convince Prez to let them go then I would suspect his intentions, but I saw it as an honest apology. It reminded me of Leatitcia and how she clearly had a lot of anger inside of her and that caused her to cut Shaquan. I think there is another side to Namond that is just being revealed that does carry pain and hurt even though he is a well-off family, he still lives in an area where street shootings take place.
I found the three’s reaction to the body startling because none of them seemed afraid. It showed that they really are not that innocent especially Dukie which I think could already be suspected because of his living arrangements. The emotionless way he shows the body to Randy and Michael shows this is not the worst thing that he has witnessed. I think there innocence is definitely gone because they realize there are worst things than death in life.
I think Dukie is wise because he experiences many horrors because of his parents being drug addicts, and he is able to understands others pain as was shown when he handed the fan to Leatitcia.
ReplyDeleteI cannot find the perfect word for Namond but I feel like it would be a less extreme version of naïve because clearly Namon has experienced pain since his father is now in jail and used to be an enforcer for the Barskdales but he is all bluster. He claims he is tough, but he isn’t and he just seems to like the idea of being street smart but sometimes I wonder if he really is. However, I feel like the show has intentionally left me wondering this and is just waiting to prove me wrong because I think his character has not been explored as deeply as some of the other boys.
When I think of Randy I think of him in terms of his interactions with Dukie so I think he is very compassionate because though they are small actions-the lunch bag, a glance to Namond-he protects Dukie and takes care of him.
Michael would be mature because I think he handles himself in a very grown up way that most of the adults in the show do not achieve. He cares for his younger brother and takes care of him and thinks through the consequences of every decision.
As far as the boy I like the most, I like Dukie and Michael and I cannot choose between the two. I think Dukie has a very sympathetic story and he is able to accept aide with dignity and handles his terrible place in life with dignity. I think Michael accepts the responsibility thrust upon him and shows great maturity when making decisions that his peers often lack.