The
key surprise of chapter five in Ain’t No
Makin’ It is that the Brothers do not share the Hallway Hangers’ dismal
attitudes about their future occupational prospects. Although MacLeod tells us that he will “unravel
this paradox” in a later chapter, I think it would be instructive for us to attempt
to unravel it ourselves (82). As the author notes, the primarily-black Brothers
must struggle against both classism and racism to make an eventual place for
themselves in the American middle class; judging by this fact alone, one may
assume that the outlooks of the Brothers and the Hallway Hangers should be
reversed. On the other hand, one might assume that the stark and concentrated
poverty of Clarendon Heights would prevent any of its young residents from
developing strong aspirations, but most of the Brothers are confident that they
will acquire good jobs if they make themselves skillful enough to hold them,
and some of their older siblings have successfully gone on to college. Most of
the Hallway Hangers’ older siblings are or have been incarcerated.
What
factors, therefore do you think have contributed most to the divergent aspirations
of these two groups? Why are most of the elder siblings of the Hallway Hangers trapped
in lives of crime while several of the Brothers’ elder siblings have gone on successfully
to college?
This is a good question to raise! I, too, assumed that the Hallway Hangers would have more positive outlooks than the Brothers and am curious to understand why the situation is actually the reverse. I think Kelly brings up a few really good, plausible explanations in her post "Family Life". She discusses how many of the Brothers' parents were not originally from Claredon Heights and also how many role models (such as older brothers) from that group had some higher education or jobs, albeit low-wage jobs. Knowing this, it is easier to understand why the Hallway Hangers have more dismal outlooks. While the Hallway Hangers may have the social benefit of being white, their lives don't reflect that difference as they find themselves in the same situation as other residents such as the Brothers. What they do see, however, is a pattern in their lives. Their parents may have grown up in Claredon Heights just as they have, so who's to say that their children won't in turn be stuck in a similar situation? The examples they have before them are of incarcerated siblings. Why should the Hallway Hangers think their futures will be any different when they were raised in the same situation as their older siblings who are now or who have been in jail? I think looking at a pattern of family life has a more profound effect on your view of the future than an assessment of your current situation does. If you are a Brother and your life is a struggle, there is still some hope that your future could be different. If you are a Hallway Hanger and you look at your life and see that it is no different than those who came before you, I'd imagine it becomes more difficult to have faith that you're somehow "different".
ReplyDeleteI honestly think race is a fascinating variable in this situation. The Hallway Hangers have only two members of color, whereas the Brothers only have one white member. My experiences in the world and most notably in high school and college, frankly, highlight white entitlement when I approach this situation. The history of oppression of people of color in America, in the past and still today, seems to lead people of color to an understanding and expectation of struggle. Aware of their systematic disadvantages, the Brothers put more effort into their studies and family lives to counteract these disadvantages. On the other hand, the privilege of whites in America seems to have taught us to be lazy and to expect a good future. When the Hallway Hangers come to expect struggle, they do not attempt to engage or oppose that struggle. Instead, they succumb to their failure. These are obviously hasty generalizations, but I do not think they are unsupported.
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