Not an Easy Win

Content Warning: This section discusses racism.

“Mr. Spacey treated our school like it was some kind of jail. He was the warden instead of the principal, always walking around talking about maintaining law and order. He couldn’t wait to get rid of me (and only me).”

From the opening lines of the text, Giles establishes Lawrence’s struggle with Blame Versus Accountability. Even though part of what Lawrence is saying is likely true—Mr. Spacey may treat him poorly due to the color of his skin—he also dramatizes the points of his fight, blaming the other students and failing to understand how he can change his situation without fighting. Lawrence uses a simile comparing school to jail and Mr. Spacey to a warden to convey the inhospitable, policing nature of Andrew Jackson Middle School, a predominantly white school.

“Andrew Jackson was full of white kids who always got their way. At least it seemed like it to me. Sometimes they needed a lesson in how to treat people. Sometimes was today.”

Here, Lawrence further describes the negative atmosphere at Andrew Jackson, a school he sees as “full of white kids who always g[e]t their way.” Again, Lawrence blames the other children in the school for his decision to fight with them after they make fun of his hoodie, believing that a Black student like him could never aspire to college. While he is standing up to his mistreatment and defending himself from their bullying, Lawrence fails to consider other options, such as talking with Ma about changing schools, speaking to a school authority, or simply ignoring the other children.