Namond Brice

Namond Brice stands out in The Wire due to the many roles he has within his community. These roles are ever changing as he strives to define himself while maintaining his relationships with his family and peers. The juggling act of Namond’s roles with each relationship illustrates the complexity of his character.  

Namond’s family life is as equally complex as his character. His parents encourage him to leave the classroom in favor of the illicit world, and his mother mentions that Namond skipped “work” to play. They are hoping he rises in the drug economy as this would be a reflection of them within their community. They see Namond’s long hair as a potential obstacle of their goal. Namond takes on the role of the individual as he defies his parent’s wishes and continues to sport his hair, jersey and flashy earrings. With so many other forces at work, Namond clings to his appearance as something he can control.

Namond has a leadership role for the younger kids and he makes money while working for the older kids. In a scuffle with other kids, he runs off instead of helping his friends. Later, he buys ice cream for them and said he got away. One may argue that this is a cowardly act. He may think, "I’m making money so I don’t have be in the streets but I’ll pay my soldiers do it for me." He may give into the role pressured by his family and glorified by his peers to fill the shoes of his boss. Alternatively, it could be perceived that his immaturity and instinct to survive overpowered him in the moment. His motivation to buy his friends ice cream in the aftermath could have been out of compassion and even guilt.

    Namond’s roles and relationships are interconnected and play a huge part in who Namond is. At the end of the day, he is like any other teenager. He is growing up in a world where he has to decide who’s expectations he wants to meet while defining who he is going to be.

Written vs Spoken Word

Media is everywhere in 2015. Two of the most prominent forms are the written word and the spoken word. Each of these channels has laid a foundation for the explosion of mass media seen today.

The Serial podcast tells the single story of murder and the subsequent investigation and its impact told through a series of episodes. This is a break from contemporary journalism trends as it takes several weeks to finish the story. Background sounds, music, and tone of the narrator, Sarah Koenig, all work in conjunction and to add suspense to the elements of the story. Even the theme song, which becomes iconic after just one episode, evokes tension and anxiety.

On the other end of the spectrum, written word, lays The Corner. It is a book that tells the tale of a street corner in West Baltimore and how it slipped from a strong, working class neighborhood into a street drug purgatory. The book allows more freedom to its audience as they are given a lexicon of description that leaves the reader to paint their own picture without the aid of creepy music or chilling sound effects. Another hallmark of Simon’s writing is his ability to provide a comprehensive panoramic context to the characters and the neighborhood. This is a perspective that spoken word omits.

Both of these media formats have their distinct characteristics that help to construct a particular experience.