Code of the Street

This chapter departs from the rest of the book since Anderson becomes a central figure of the narrative. Here, he tells the story of John Turner, an emblematic character for many of the aspects of the code of the street. Anderson met Turner at a restaurant he frequents, and at the time of their meeting, Turner turned to Anderson for help. From that point on, Anderson offered to help him find gainful employment, and eventually even tried to help him join the military. Turner, 21 when Anderson first met him, was already the father of four children. He had little contact with his father and had lived by the street code for most of his life, including a propensity toward resolving disputes through physical violence. Anderson took a special interest in John, who was also genuinely accepting of Anderson’s help. Eventually, Anderson helped him find a job at a restaurant, but John ended up quitting a short while later. Instead of merely lamenting John’s individual difficulties, Anderson ends the chapter by reflecting once more on the systemic inequalities that contextualize the book as a whole. Anderson writes, “many of these young men and their female counterparts are being written off by mainstream society, a truth they know full well.