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The focus of this research paper is to evaluate and analyze critical issues as they are illustrated in the book “Angry Young Men” by Aaron Kipnis. In the initial section, the assignment expounds on various issues as they are discussed in different topic levels within the aforementioned book. The book is based on the author’s personal experience and thus, explores on different challenges as faced by young teenagers at home, school or justice institutions. Moving forward, the assignment expounds on own experience with the book, whereby it is expected that one provides with personal reflection about the book as a whole and presents reasons for one’s course of perception.
The author talks about living in a house of fire to expound on experiences he had as a child when living with both his mother and grandfather. It is assumed that when teenagers are subjected to abusive relationships, especially from people they are supposed to trust and adore, prison becomes the order for the day. When teenagers, especially boys, are made to undergo a series of physical abuses or even psychological abuses, they tend to oppose the occurrence by engaging in entirely negative activities altogether. They end up leaving home for other shelters and most of them, just as Kipnis, find solace in streets. In essence, living in a house on fire is a descriptive term attributed to abusive homes and broken ties between growing teenagers with their respective parents as a whole. Also, it is noted that teenage boys tend to seek manhood from other men and, therefore, it is challenging for a mother to provide necessary attributes boys need to become men.
The author Kipnis notes that when boys are introduced into the educational systems they are bound to fail, as compared to their female counterparts. In his book, the author defines subjective harassments, as well as harshness attributed to boys as “slipping through cracks” the author notes that 70 % of teenage boys are likely to fail in their course as compared to girls. The educational system is established in a manner that discourages learning growth for boys. It is also noted that a higher percentage of teenage boys drop out of school as compared to their teenage female counterparts. Also, the attention offered to girl teenagers by teachers is depicted to be higher and precise in comparison to that offered to boys, and in so doing, boys are made to feel discriminated and out-of-place. For instance, the fact that teenage girls are offered extra attention on matters pertaining to Math and Science does not necessarily mean that boys are better. The attention offered to girls is done so at the expense of the boy child. Therefore, when boys feel that they are being stigmatized and segregated in their respective learning institution, they tend to develop a defiant and defeatist form of attitude with respect to the learning system. In this manner they are made to feel ashamed of their inability to master learning processes taught at schools and, thus, act in a disruptive manner which is considered to be way for which he uses to let other peers understand his incapacity to learn altogether.
“Mean Street” is the topic name to the book “Angry Young Men”. The term is used by the author to refer to harsh realities he faced while in streets. When the author felt that the “fire” in his home burned to extreme heights, he decided to leave it for streets where he sought shelter and fair life. Notwithstanding, he found out that life in streets was at no way better and fairer; in fact, it was mean and cold. He narrates the experience he had as part of a dancing group where he thought he would get the attention he needed. Streets are perceived to steer boys into behaviors which, in turn, lead to prison altogether. Boys, unlike girls, are considered to be mostly subjected to violence and discrimination, and as a result, tend to find ways through which they could use to divert the social vice. Kipnis narrates that nobody was present to appreciate the A part of an artist, as they did athletics and other talents. However, he retorts that streets placed him at a fair position upon which he could showcase talents but enjoy the limited audience altogether.
When young and troubled boys are subjected to different forms of such social injustices as violence, physical abuse, gun possession, parent neglect and homelessness, they tend to grow towards defiant youth. Kipnis refers to the failure of the community to understand plights of youth and sending them to juvenile detentions as juvenile injustices. It assumed that the fair way for which defiant boys in the society can be subjected to is by voluntarily agreeing to assist them in becoming better members of the society rather than subjecting them to prison institutions. Therefore, men are encouraged to present themselves as role models upon whom young boys can emulate and strive to become meaningful members of the society as a whole.
Kipnis refers to the manner in which young boys engage in drug abuse and criminalization activities as intolerant behaviors, which is rather controversial. The author assumes that drugs should be legalized and made available to young boys so that the plight is tackled as a health issue rather than a criminal activity. It is assumed that young boys tend to turn to drug abuse related activities because they need to live in a world free from social injustices and also, engage in the activity, mainly because they are surrounded by peers who practice the vice. Parents are advised to emulate studies that enlighten them about plights youth experience while participating in different societal institutions.
In order to address different forms, young teenagers engage in the author addresses the subject as a topic in his book: “Youth Correlations and Gangs”. It is assumed that young teenage boys participate in activities which are attributed to the manner in which they aspire to portray in the society. For instance, in learning institutions, young teenagers tend to relate to another in a manner that is determined by such facets as their athletic ability, physical appearance, social status, as well as their respective abilities to attract the opposite sex. It is further argued that they are faced with the option to form cliques or rather gangs upon which they use as a platform for connecting with others. This grouping is common among adolescent boys as compared to girls, and they are used for protection, as well as identification purposes. Young teenage boys tend to behave violently when they feel that their respect has been diminished and this explains different forms of shootings experienced at schools and other learning institutions as a whole.