The Baddest Dog in Harlem (Caroline)

1. Describe the environment in the short story with special focus on the relationship between the community and the police in Harlem. Use specific examples.

- Very few people had jobs and were just hanging around in the streets. According to the text, the relationship between the community and the police is not very good, because that the police just came rushing in the streets and just began shooting without any reason.
The community is not safe with the white policemen, because it is mostly black people living in Harlem, but mostly white policemen. “Lets go, lady,” this cop said. Then he went to take Mary by the arm. She snatched it away from him and said she wasn’t going anywhere with them unless she had a black man with her. (p. 21, l. 25)

2. Comment on the language in the short story. How is it told and by whom? What characterizes the tone of voice and word usage of the narrator? Use specific examples.
- I think it is a young black guy who tells us the story, because he describes the 30-year-old Willie as an old person. Also when Mary wants a black man with her, the cop grabbed the storyteller’s arm, and wants him to go with them.
The story is written in present and in first-person narrator.

3. Select three quotes from the text that you believe are central to the story in terms of plot and/or themes. Explain the quotes – what do they mean? Is there any hidden meaning to them?

1. “Lets go, lady,” this cop said. Then he went to take Mary by the arm. She snatched it away from him and said she wasn’t going anywhere with them unless she had a black man with her. (p. 21, l. 25) – this explains that black people don’t trust in white people and don’t feel safe.

2. One thing about 145th Street. Half the guys on the block don’t have jobs and so they’re always on the stoops or just standing around with nothing to do. (p. 18, l. 14) – there are a lot of unemployed people in Harlem and just hanging around in the streets doing nothing. That’s why they find it very interesting when the police appear and something new is happening.

3. One of them got on the bullhorn and told all the kids to get off the street immediately. He must have meant that as a joke. The kids didn’t have anything to do and they weren’t going anyplace. (p. 18, l. 23) – furthermore the kids don’t have anything to do - they are not even studying or have an education.

The baddest dog in Harlem (Sophie)

1. Describe the environment in the short story with special focus on the relationship between the community and the police in Harlem. Use specific examples.

- The environment seems very close linked, where everybody knows everybody and where there are some usual habits. At the same time, the relationship between the community and the police seems very tense and untrustworthy. It’s not unusual that the police arrives, but everyone prays that it’s not them this time: “… I knew when the police come tearing like that they’re looking for somebody. I did just like everybody else leaning on the rail did, said a quick prayer and put on my innocent face” (p. 16-17, l. 30)

Although the police should be the people protecting the community, you feel a big lack of trust between the two parts: “The cop looked over at us and didn’t say nothing. I bet if he his way he would have us sitting out there in that police car”.

2. Comment on the language in the short story. How is it told and by whom? What characterizes the tone of voice and word usage of the narrator? Use specific examples.

- The story is told by one of the boys, who sits on the rail outside Big Joe’s place. The language is not very formal, but is written with a bit of slang. The narrator being from Harlem/from a ghetto characterizes the tone of voice, for example when he says “I don’t know anything and I don’t want to see no dead people” (p. 22, l. 1)

3. Select three quotes from the text that you believe are central to the story in terms of plot and/or themes. Explain the quotes – what do they mean? Is there any hidden meaning to them?

1. “I wanted them to say how bad they felt about it and what a shame it was the way life could slip away so easily in Harlem, in our community, on our street”

This shooting was not the first one in Harlem, and is definitely not going to be the last one. It is part of the everyday life and that’s the saddest part.

2. “That’s probably the baddest dog in Harlem”

The dog gets the blame, because it was definitely not the police fault. They’re trying to make an excuse for shooting the dog, and it shows how careless they are about the people in Harlem.

3. “He took my arm and looked into my face. I didn’t have to tell him there was more to it”

It seems like they both know this isn’t right. They both know that the community they live in is bad, and it shouldn’t be like this.

"The baddest dog in Harlem" analysis (Nanna Lindhardt)

1. Describe the environment in the short story with special focus on the relationship between the community and the police in Harlem. Use specific examples.

The environment, which is described in this short story, is primarily influenced by the lack of an education, the widely distributed poverty and the high crime rate. As mentioned in the short story the most exciting thing that could possibly happen in Harlem, is when the police arrives. “… when the cops arrive like this it breaks the day up nice. Unless it’s you they’re looking for, of course.” (p. 18, ll. 17-19).

2. Comment on the language in the short story. How is it told and by whom? What characterizes the tone of voice and word usage of the narrator? Use specific examples.

We have a black narrator who remains unknown through the entire novel, and we have his friends Wille, Pedro and Mr. Lynch. We also have Mary, who is the tenant of the apartment, which the police shot at. We get to know a little part of her personality, when we read about her reaction towards drapes: “You shot up my new drapes! I don’t work all day for you fools to be up here shooting up my drapes!” (p. 21, ll. 15-16). Many people would probably agree that this is a quite aggressive behaviour, though it is understandable given the situation. The poor characterization of the persons in the story is caused by the fact that the story does not focus on individual persons, but rather on a social problem, which is seen certain places in America. These certain places often contain very poor environments, where the crime rate is high and the majority is lacking an education.

3. Select three quotes from the text that you believe are central to the story in terms of plot and/or themes. Explain the quotes – what do they mean? Is there any hidden meaning to them?

1 1)  “There’s somebody up there!” a kid yelled. Now, what did he do that for? Everybody hit the ground, including me, and covered up the best they could. (p. 19, ll. 5-8).

When the boy yells everybody assumes, that it means danger. I find this interesting, because people in our society would presume it to be something more or less interesting, but not life threating.

2 2)  The kids didn’t have anything to do and they weren’t going anyplace. (p. 18, ll. 26-28).

In this quote I do not think the narrator means that the kids weren’t going anyplace in that exact moment, but in life in general due to their non-existing educations and the poverty in the community.

3 3)   I hadn’t seen anything, but then I wasn’t looking too hard. The thing I don’t want to be is a witness. (p. 19, ll. 9-10).

I think this quote says a lot about the community’s relationship towards the police in Harlem; that they do not trust the system and will do almost anything to avoid getting involved in an investigation. 

 

The Baddest Dog in Harlem

Helene

1. Describe the environment in the short story with special focus on the relationship between the community and the police in Harlem. Use specific examples.

The environment is tense. The cops are not very respectful towards the community living in Harlem, as the police is mainly white working in a dominantly black area. For example, when the cops lead the narrator and Mary by the arm and pushes them forward not caring about their security. Another but very important point is the fact that they don’t seem to feel sorry/guilty for all their “accidently” shootings but just keep up their appearance. The community isn’t very comfortable with the cops and they’re somehow a bit afraid of the cops as well.

2. Comment on the language in the short story. How is it told and by whom? What characterizes the tone of voice and word usage of the narrator? Use specific examples.

Our narrator is possibly a young adult. In the dialogs it is seen that the community presented in the story uses a lot of slang. For example when the narrator describes the following:  “Them big-eyed kids…” (p. 4, l. 8), “Something was wrong big-time” (p. 6, l. 1).

The language is also written in a “fresh” way using “funny” terms

3. Select three quotes from the text that you believe are central to the story in terms of plot and/or themes. Explain the quotes – what do they mean? Is there any hidden meaning to them?

1. “Half the guys on the block dosen’t have jobs and so they’re always on the stoops or just standing around with nothing to do… (p. 3, l. 14)

Gives an explanation of Harlem and what kind of area it is.

2. “That dog look like a terrorist to me” (p. 5, l. 8)

An excuse for the accidentally killed dog, which proofs how “careless” the cops are about the community in Harlem.

3. “I wanted them to say how bad they felt about it and what shame it was the way life could slip away so easily in Harlem, in our community, on our street.” (p. 6, l. 31)

Want the cops to feel sorry about their actions. At the same time it says that people in their area dies without appreciation from the cops and their lives aren’t seen as valuable.

1960s

By Jonatan, Gustav, Christian, Samuel, Robert and Daniella.

1970

Cecilia, Katrine, Malthe, Ida R & Caroline