Chi-Raq Chicago has recently been crowned as the murder capital of the United States; having the largest number of raw murders in the entire country. Consequentially, gang-related warfare is at an all-time high and the projects of downtown Chicago have become arguably the most difficult location to grow up in the country. “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz follows the everyday struggles of primarily two young, black boys, Lafayette and Pharaoh Rivers, who are both growing up in a low-income housing project in downtown Chicago. Early into the story, Lafayette develops a relationship with a fifteen-year old named Bird Leg; however, as a consequence of the heavily concentrated gang violence in the projects where the Rivers family resides, Bird Leg is gunned down in an altercation between rival gang members. Lafayette is heavily affected by Bird Leg’s death and begins to doubt any possibility or hope of escaping this lifestyle and making something of himself. “His face masked his troubles. It was a face without effect, without emotion” (Kotlowitz, 55). In addition, Pharaoh is shaken up as well and develops a stutter due to the stress and violence exuded on him by his environment. Despite his stutter, …show more content…
One month ago,11-year-old Shamiya Adams was making s'mores at a sleepover at her friend's apartment when, as the girls were about to put the s'mores in the microwave, a stray bullet flew through a vacant lot, went straight through an open window, penetrated a wall, and flew through her head. She became the first of four people killed (and dozens more shot) over the weekend in Chicago. In the novel, Lafayette sentimentalizes life and death by stating, “We’re gonna die one way or another by killing or plain out” (Kotlowitz, 51). This recent event accurately parallels the increasingly hostile situation experienced by the Rivers family caused by brutal gang