The Wire, Street Code, and Trophies

           In his introduction, Anderson lays out a very graphic illustration of a major thoroughfare in Philadelphia, one I am sure we can all relate to if we’re from a big city.  Or just take Poplar here in Memphis, for example.  More specifically, Anderson’s explanations of North Philadelphia (pg 28-31) are easily represented in The Wire.  “A young boy appears, dressed in an expensive athletic suit and white sneakers.”  In every episode DeAngelo is dressed with an air of authority down in the pit, so that his “small groups of boys” know who is in charge.  The drug lords (Avon, Stringer, Stick-Um) and the others fit this description even better.  Anderson says “the beeper has become a status symbol” as well, not just the clothes.  The whole community is immersed in the drug trade because for some, as I’m sure we’ll see soon in The Wire, “the family has come to rely on the drug money” just to stay afloat.  Young men, young women, parents, community leaders, and especially the police know everything that goes on, but do little to stop it. 

            On page 75, Anderson speaks heavily about the idea of “trophies.”  Despite his hard, evidence the trophies of the inner-city are also present amongst the middle class though they might be manifest in different ways.  For example, “acquiring valued things” like jackets, shoes, “girlfriends” and cars in the inner city can constitute as a trophy.  Even some immaterial objects, like pride and honor are at stake in the inner city.  However, the trophies of the middle class are just as important to societal control.  How often do we see men breaking their bank to drive a Lexus or live in a 4,000 square foot house—hence the mortgage crisis?  Additionally, in our meritocratic middle class, the test score and the awards gain social control.  By blowing thousands of dollars on SAT prep scores, just so you can win a scholarship, the middle class teenager has a chance at societal mobility and bragging rights at the lunch table.