Through the reading, Tyree’s Story, the reader learned about a young man named Tyree. Tyree was fifteen years old, and he and his mother just moved in with his grandmother. Since Tyree moved into a new neighborhood, he must earn the respect of the “bols” or boys of the neighborhood. Tyree’s experience of getting to know the “bols” of his new neighborhood illustrated the impact that the “code of the street” has on young people. Tyree’s story demonstrated the magnitude that the “code of the street”” had on young people through its effects of inducing fear, prioritizing earning others’ respect, and the importance of proving one’s “manhood”.
One of the impacts of the “code of the street” on young people was that it caused them to be fearful. When Tyree first moved into the new neighborhood, he always looked both ways when he came out of his house. Tyree wanted to protect himself from the “bols” before he earned their respect, so he would make sure they were not around. After Tyree had earned the “bols” respect, he would hang out with one of the members named Malik. Tyree told of how Malik and he would watch each other’s backs when they were together on the street. By watching each other’s backs, Tyree and Malik were looking out…show more content… When Tyree encountered the “bols” on the street, he knew he could not run away, because he would be surrendering his manhood. “The code of the street” led Tyree to absorb the punches and kicks because he saw this as better than losing his “manhood”. After Tyree got beat up and felt like he suffered a blow to his “manhood”, he encountered one of the “bols” that had beat him up at the store. Tyree punches the man a few times, and the man tells Tyree that Tyree got him that time. Through this exchange, Tyree felt more confident and felt as if he had gained respect back, thus gaining back his
