Pimp Case
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The lyrics to this song relate to Manchild in more than just one way. One of the lines states, “Everyones ashamed to the youth cause the truth looks strange” and this can relate to most of the essence of Manchild. It can relate because throughout the book Sonny, and his friends do bad things even at very young ages. He was robbing, getting drunk, and having sex at only the age of 13. Most of the adults that surrounded him either didnt know what he was up to or ignored the fact that he did it because it felt so strange to see such a young child get into so much trouble. Another line says, “And over there theres a lady, crack got her crazy”, and this refers to Sugar towards the end of the novel, when she becomes a druggie instead of the geeky girl Sonny once knew. A very powerful and significant line says, “I refuse to be a role model”, and this relates because his brother began to follow in his past foot steps. Once Sonny straightened out, his brother became a trouble maker, and it might have had something to do with Pimp watching Sonny grow up the way he did. Sonny then refuses to see himself as a role model because Pimp turned into what he was. The final line I chose to look at was, “But am I less holy
Cause I choose to puff a blunt and drink a beer with my homies”, this reminds me of Sonnys remorse to his younger years. He was such a bad kid, but as he grew up he realized that he had to change. This might make Sonny feel less holy because he had such a badly influenced past.
When Claude discovers that his brother, Pimp, has been staying out, sometimes for several nights, he realizes that Pimp has started using heroin. Angered and distressed, Claude hunts Pimp down in one of the shady bars, then presses him to quit while he still can. Pimps indifferent nods convince Claude that Pimp may be beyond saving. But thankfully, when Pimp is arrested and imprisoned for trying to steal money to buy heroin, he begins correspondence courses, hoping to finish his high school diploma. “Mama said Pimp was better off,” Claude thinks. “He couldnt use any drugs up there, and now she knew where he was” (Manchild in the Promised Land, p. 399).