Manchild in the promised land

First generation inexor equal to(p)s in bleak York had the unique situation of macrocosm in the urban animation for the offset time, having unsex by from slave work conditions on s let onhern farms, they brought their experiences of living as slaves, they brought their piety and they brought hope that life in the city would be various, that life would be fall a break-dance in the promise land. As we seen in Man childlyster in the Promised Land, life in New York is disfranchised, harder than the south in new slipway that b privations could not give way prep bed themselves for.P everywherety, military group, and mischief followed them where ever they went in America, including New York. black-market pip-squeakren growing up in this urban setting are like weeds growing between the cracks in the pave handstthey are hearty, they do what they watch to do to d wellhead. The pathways are their playground, their school and hope is unless in the luck angiotensin-conv erting enzyme has that they wont force busted. How did this lifestyle violate? A number of factors, namely destitution and prejudice ca employ separate problems to develop much(prenominal)(prenominal) as violence, child disgust, drugs, prostitution etc.Child Abuse integrity amicable ill that often stems from poverty is child abuse. In the ledger child abuse is seen in homes such as Claudes trembler Bucky whose m separate, who is on welfare, is in such a state of despair that she chooses her racket and gambling over feeding her bear four children. These children liked living in the child welfare house because at least thither they had three meals a mean solar day and a place to sleep. Of his friend Claude says, Bucky was the only kid I knew who could catch out all night recollective and not be missed (p 32).This distinctly instilled in these young the struggle to survive at all costs whether it be violence or detaching. School in both case became something that har dly seems worthwhile when a child could be out catting on the streets and observe home with food, gold, c spreadhes or other items when school only meant that you would probably fuck off in discomfit for something and get thud when you got home. Claude doesnt seem to realize the benefits of solelyton to school, learning to read etc. until solely nigh his high school years when the prison warden encourages him and believes that he could do well.Just as a master handle the slave, umteen a black parent abused their children under the pretense of spare the celestial pole and spoil the child, raising them up with violence in their hearts from the start. benighted children in Harlem were to respect their parents and do what they were told or allowance the cost.For penalization for his various crimes and school skipping, Claude is trounce progressively to a greater extent(prenominal) seriously until his novice resorts to hitting him with his fists because it seems that n o matter what punishment Claude is given, he continues to get into trouble and his find is frustrated to the point of serious violence. So from the age of six years old, violence is instilled in Claude as a instrument for upholding authority and for punishing wrong doing only interestingly enough, violence was not enough to hold back Claude respect his beget and the day his father used his fists on Claude seems to be the day that Claudes relationship with his father was severed. furyViolence is a part of survival in Harlem. One mustiness defend their creationhood, their re regulateation or guardianship losing important alliances with other men who financial aid clear up street life livable. In prison one must comfort their rank of power, which is more clear break off than on the street. Examples of violence in the book include when Claude dis induces his friend for allowing himself to be scotch up by snowy mento Harlem street youth this was the most annihilating thi ng one could do to oneself. great(p) Bill, a man in Claudes neighborhood, encouraged the kids to fight because he knew they requisite to learn how to defend themselves on those hard streets. Big Bill was preparing them for life, as he saw it. In graze to survive, Claude learned, you had to be a seriously nigger, which meant that you had to be willing to do some(prenominal)thing you had to be willing to die. One time when Claude was mother up over a quarter he utter, It wasnt the value of money It was just that these things symbolized a mans manhood or principles (p. 256).Violence is used to keep racial segregationClaude is raised being told that if he were to ever sleep with a white woman he would be lynched. The police use violence to deem violence. Violence is also used by the unremarkable inhabitants of Harlem to protect themselves against the throng who live the street life. Claude caught a bullet in the endorse from a neighbor who was only if severe to keep their sheets from being stolen. One mans head was cracked turn out by a landlord for peeing in the hallway of his building. The cycle of wrong doing seems to be perpetuated by violence it cuts the psyche and makes a person grow callous to what has to be done to protect oneself and ones belongings in Harlem or any poor urban ghetto.Role of WomenBlack women in Harlem are the lowest on the totem pole so to speak and are treated as if they were objects to testify or use. Women are considered to only exist to enjoy men and men like Johnny, a pimp, treat women very badly in order to get what they want. Claudes own mother is helpless to control her son, simply ringing her hands and saying, Boy, why you so bad? (p 27). In the case of scraping and Melvin, Sugar must step up when her man decides that he is not passing play to struggle to survive in ill Harlem yet simply give upshe must tell apart on a more important design in the relationship and lead the household.DrugsDrugs are other re sult of urban poverty in Harlem. Drugs are an escape, a chance to make a vigorous buck. Claude also said that drugs became associated with manhood, the young cats wanted to take drugs because they used to listen to the way the junkies talked, with a suck in their voice (p 261). Many a black man in Harlem got caught in the web of Heroine, thinking that they were in control and selling it, the drug took control of them. provide, Claudes little chum salmon, was just such a character and Claude spent a troop of time trying to show his familiar that this just wasnt the way. holinessReligion in Harlem harks back to the spirituals of the South. Charismatic perform services were held in old stores, apartments or where ever there is space to be had. The preachers, such as Mrs. Rogers, a jackleg preacher, devote no formal training but lead their family and peers in a discussion and loud prayer sessions. Claude was very inquisitive of his experience in Mrs.Rogers church service and for years later he remembered church as a place where, individual lined up a lot of kitchen chairs in a few rows, a preacher did a lot of cheering about the Lord, people jumping up and down until they got knocked down by the spirit, and Mrs. Rogers put bowls of money on a kitchen table and kept pointing to it and asking from more (p. 27). Claude believes throughout the book that religion is just another distraction, like a drug, to take ones mind away from the suffering of hard living.Black Islamics in Harlem represented a little varied form of faith that allocatet with the issues of the ghetto by move the philosophy of prejudice around so that the black man was the superior melt down and the whites inferior and according to Floyd Saks, The time has come for all back men to bone up up, band together and do something for themselves (p 319). These Muslims encouraged blacks to buy black to better the black economy. Although Claude recognizes the need for commute in his commun ity he promptly sees that Floyds faith is simply exchanging one hate for another.Role ModelsThe only procedure models that urban youth in Harlem seemed to have were negative ones. Those that worked hard did not make enough money to survive or live well. Those that seemed to have enough money and to have control over their life were the street torpedoes or the men who were able to lie, cheat and steal their living. Claude was enticed by friends his own age such as Danny, who taught him how to steal from cash registers and skip school or Johnny who taught him how to hustle on the street.Claude in turn became a street hero and influenced his little chum procurer who thusly ended up becoming a drug user. The influence of siblings was such that Pimp was expected to live up to his brothers tough reputation so he had to be a bad nigger and he had to get in as much trouble as possible to catch up to his brothers years of street experience. Claude has to beat up an older boy for his b abe Caroles honor in order to preserve his own as well as hers.Claude finds a positive influence only in the comforts of the control prison where everything is clearly laid out with purpose. Mr. Papanek and Mrs. Coen are the only two people in Claudes life who positively influenced his actions and helped him to realize that he was going no where doing the same things that got him in trouble forwards and got other men in trouble before and after him.Papanek kept presentment people that, Claude Brown is going to be a real success and as a result, Claude believed it and made it happen (p 167). Doing something different had not occurred to Claude before this or to other youth like him because there just werent any triple-crown young black men to be ensnare. idealistic James was a positive role model in the Harlem community that Claude seek to help his brother Pimp get off drugs and to find a way into college. Claude respected Reverend James because he was as intelligent as Mr. P apanek but he was black and he lived in Harlem with the rest of those struggling to survive and had found a way to survive outdoor(a) of the mores of the street. Reverend James is a beauteous hip guy for a minister, Claude admitted to Pimp and it is the Reverends ability to be hip that made him capable of real making a difference in the lives of Harlem youth (p 390).The Ghetto MentalityPoverty, violence, crime and the lack of any hope or any positive role models caused a ghetto humor to develop that made people have low aspirations and to focus on the air of things such as making certainly to have fine clothes quite an than planning ahead with finances for the future. victory was seen only in the street heroes pimps and successful execrables.Tilto, Danny and mackintosh are good examples of boys with no aspiration to ever do anything else but hustle and hope for a quick showy success. When asked what he was going to do with his life Claudes friend Mac says, I dont chouse ma n. I guess Ill deal drugs like every one else in the neighborhood was already doing (p 237). This ghetto mentality was re-enforced by the fact that men with a criminal record after the age of cardinal were unable to find gainful handicraft or become a successful citizen in society so there was a sense of, why try, I cant do anything about it now.This mentality is broken only by the influence of someone like Claude, who everyone respect on the street and who decided to get out of the lifestyle and to find something more fulfilling in life. The likelihood of urban youth to come in contact with a Mr. Pancheck, like Claude did is less likely than for them to be impressed to change by someone like Claude.