Gang Leader for a Day Literary Elements

Sociology

South Side of Chicago, Robert Taylor Homes housing project, early 1990s

The narrator is the author Sudhir Venkatesh. He narrates from both J.T.'s point of view, and also from his own perspective on what he is learning from J.T.

There are many tones and moods in the book. The overall tone is friendly and matter-of-fact with a tone of normalcy despite poverty and the threatening nature of the "work" J.T. is doing

The protagonist is the author, and also J.T. There are no specific antagonists, although initially Sudhir's professors are negative and therefore antagonistic with regard to his closeness with J.T. and his blinkered focus on this one character in the projects

The major conflict is between Sudhir and his university advisers who think he is putting himself in danger by associating so closely with a gang leader. They also discourage him from looking so closely into one aspect of projects life and argue that he should be taking a broader and more mainstream approach to the issue of urban poverty

After years associating with J.T., Sudhir is offered the opportunity to be gang boss for the day as he has made some observations that it seems like an easy job

The rejuvenation of the south side area foreshadows the downturn in the drug business and J.T.'s fortunes both financially and within the power index of the Black Kings

Sudhir understates the complicated nature of J.T.'s job believing that it basically entails sending kids out to sell drugs, reaping the financial benefits and hanging out with his friends. He fails to see the intricacies of the job.

No specific allusions noted in the book

The images painted are predominantly visual although when the Chicago winters are described the reader is able to feel the coldness of the wind as the foot soldiers meet with j.T. The pictures of poverty that are painted inspire visions of the city mostly in a grayscale color scheme, which in turn painted an image of somewhere with very little hope

Sudhir sees J.T. as someone who hustles the residents of Robert Taylor Homes for his own career success but finally realizes that he has done the same thing

There is a parallel between the way in which J.T. uses his lieutenants and foot soldiers to further his career and the way in which Sudhir is using them to further his path through academia

The Black Kings is used to encompass all of the individual members within it and particularly its management and leadership hierarchy

The Projects are given feelings and the ability to act in a certain way which is not possible as a housing project cannot choose to act or not act and cannot feel emotion at all