Growing up in the ghettos of West Baltimore is accompanied by numerous everyday struggles. Its residents have to endure gang violence, the marketing of drugs, poverty, and lack of education. Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author of the The Beautiful Struggle, grew up in West Baltimore. Similarly, an episode of the show, The Wire, took place in West Baltimore. Albeit Coates was raised in the 1980’s and the characters in the show were raised in the 2000s, the time periods have no effect on the similar struggles that both parties had to endure. In the less privileged neighborhoods, gangs and gang rivalry are fairly common. Territories are taken seriously and are significantly important to gang members; due to this, territory is constantly fought over.
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Although it is dangerous, it is seen as a swift and simple method to make money. Both the memoir and the show have situations where drugs are prevalent. In the memoir, Ta-Nehisi’s older brother, Bill Coates, was involved in the distribution and selling of drugs. When questioned about it, he stated that the only reason was because the money was so easy to make and he wanted to purchase all of the newest clothes and shoes. A similar situation is seen on the West Baltimore streets of the show. The drug lord on the show is named Marlo and he has all of his partners sell his drugs on the corners of several streets in the impoverished neighborhoods. Their motives for being drug dealers is the same as Bill Coates’ motive, quick and easy …show more content…
Within the memoir, both Ta-Nehisi and his brother Bill dislike school. Ta-Nehisi Coates felt as though he learned more outside of school. The same books and ideas that he thought were interesting at home were boring to him once he entered school. He found it to be a useless waste of time and he made that extremely clear every time he spoke about it. Bill Coates also did not see school as a priority. As previously mentioned, he believed that the streets were his calling. Along with sometimes selling drugs, he thought he could become a rapper or a basketball player. Both brothers eventually attended college but for most of their student life, they did not see education in school as a priority. Likewise, Dukie, from The Wire, did not see education as a priority. Unlike many of his acquaintances, he got into high school but then ended up dropping out to sell drugs for Marlo. With the mindset of someone that resides in the ghetto, dealing drugs makes money faster than any degree requesting job will. In addition to how low they value education, one of Marlo’s drug dealers asked his boss if he could leave the corner early to get school supplies and his boss laughed in his face. This shows how education is not a priority for many people in the
Although it is dangerous, it is seen as a swift and simple method to make money. Both the memoir and the show have situations where drugs are prevalent. In the memoir, Ta-Nehisi’s older brother, Bill Coates, was involved in the distribution and selling of drugs. When questioned about it, he stated that the only reason was because the money was so easy to make and he wanted to purchase all of the newest clothes and shoes. A similar situation is seen on the West Baltimore streets of the show. The drug lord on the show is named Marlo and he has all of his partners sell his drugs on the corners of several streets in the impoverished neighborhoods. Their motives for being drug dealers is the same as Bill Coates’ motive, quick and easy …show more content…
Within the memoir, both Ta-Nehisi and his brother Bill dislike school. Ta-Nehisi Coates felt as though he learned more outside of school. The same books and ideas that he thought were interesting at home were boring to him once he entered school. He found it to be a useless waste of time and he made that extremely clear every time he spoke about it. Bill Coates also did not see school as a priority. As previously mentioned, he believed that the streets were his calling. Along with sometimes selling drugs, he thought he could become a rapper or a basketball player. Both brothers eventually attended college but for most of their student life, they did not see education in school as a priority. Likewise, Dukie, from The Wire, did not see education as a priority. Unlike many of his acquaintances, he got into high school but then ended up dropping out to sell drugs for Marlo. With the mindset of someone that resides in the ghetto, dealing drugs makes money faster than any degree requesting job will. In addition to how low they value education, one of Marlo’s drug dealers asked his boss if he could leave the corner early to get school supplies and his boss laughed in his face. This shows how education is not a priority for many people in the