An Unexpected Perspective
This audio followed the lives of two boys living in the South Side of Chicago, which is the poorest section of the city. These boys are 13 and 14 years old. They were given an audio set, which they took with them everywhere to document the various aspects of their lives. They introduce us to their homes, their school, their families and their friends.
The audio begins with one of the boys, LeAlan Jones, introducing himself. Upbeat city music fades in and he talks over the music. The music fits well with the hardships he discusses in his audio. LeAlan starts with the beginning of his day. He is picking up his friend Lloyd on his daily walk to school. As the boys discuss their everyday routine, you can hear arguments going on in the background. Both of their houses are packed. There are seven children living in LeAlan’s household. You get get a sense of the utter chaos they live in everyday.
LeAlan and Lloyd are both intriguing and amicable narrators. Being so young, they are innocent and naive to the severity of their surroundings. At the same time, they have been exposed to things that I myself have never experienced, such as shooting, hard drugs, alcoholism, gang violence, and much more. What makes you keep listening is the hopeful and cheery personalities of the boys. They discuss how they have not given up hope for a better future for themselves. They also bring genuine humor into situations that are actually very sad and disheartening.
LeAlan interviews all the members of his family and some of his friends. We are introduced to his grandmother, the prime caregiver in his family, his mother, who suffers from a mental illness, and his father, who is an alcoholic. We also hear from a 17 year old girl with a child and one of his cousins who was in the hospital after being jumped by a gang. The interviews build on each other to create a strong picture in the listeners mind as to what a day in the lives of LeAlan and Lloyd is like.
Because LeAlan and Lloyd are so young, the tone is very informal. This is actually an asset thought. It gives the listener an opportunity to understand how the boys interact with their families and peers.
The perspective of a 13 year old is very different from the perspective of someone who has already been hardened by the world. Overall, I though the audio was very eye opening and touching.
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