Down these mean streets (pg 129 -210)

Summary

Piri has a friend name brew who is black. They get talking about skin color and race. Brew said that blacks are proud of their race and I agree with him. Brew told his story to Piri about some coccasion people coming up to him and threatening him. Piri than returns to New York, where he found out that his mother is in the hospital, who later dies. After that he found that his father had another woman on the side. Piri hates that lady a lot, after finding a picture of her he ripped it up.

Qoutation
"I wanted to scream it out, but that man's arm was cutting my air from sound. I twisted n force out" (Thomas 147).

Reaction

There are a lot of violence that take place in this book and this is one of them. The person who is envolve is piris father and himself. This qoute shows that Piri's farther doesnt really care about him. He had his hands around his neck, choking him.

Down these mean streets (pg 81 -128)

Summary

Piri's family left Harlem for the life in the suburbs. Even though he does not want to leave his parents are leaving because they think there are more opportunities, and better schooling. This means new start in a new town,but he stills have difficulties fitting in. He still gets himself into weired adult situation, and faces discrimination. He faced discrimination when he went to apply for a job with a friend, he went in first and did not get the job , but when his friend went after him he got the job immediately.

Quotation
"It wasn't right to be ashamed of what one was. It was like hating Momma for the color she was and poppa for the color he wasn't" (Thomas 94).

Reaction
I choose this quote because i think it has great a defenition and that mix children and adults faced more difficulties in life than other people. What I mean by difficulties is that they are not really accepted into society. When I read this quote i thought of To Kill a Mocking bird because mix children were not accepted very well into the society. This shows that this occurs a lot of places.

Down these mean streets

pg 41-82

Summary
In this section of my book the main character is getting more social with kids his own age. There are many use of slang and swears in the book. He is having a difficult time fitting in with the crowd.

Quotation
" I wonder why the fuck he came in the first place. if anything brings fuzz, it's gonna be his knocking kness" (Thomas 75).

reaction
I chose these qoute specificly from the book because it reveals the dialect of the people in this book.It shows the vulgerity being used.

Down these mean streets

(pg 1- 40)

Summary
The first few pages of the book introduces the narrator and his home life. His family is introduced, especially his father. The boy is nine years of age. He sees many things on the streets were he lives. An example is crack addicts on the streets were he lives.

Quotation
"Carlito was a good kid. Someday he was gonna go through hell. Carlito was gonna be a junkie, like most us would be-but that is the future" (Thomas 17).

Reaction
this quote from the book is a powerful one. Even at a young age the boys knew their own future or fate. It is sad to see young adults thinking they are going to end up with a life of misery in the future. They believe that is what their future is going to be like because their society is fool or junkies. Will this be true as I continue on reading Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas? That is a question i will like to find out.