A BRONX TALE

Collogero lives in a neighborhood unlike anything I, or probably any other teenager in the suburbs, have ever encountered. The sense of everybody knows everybody and everybody's business is nearly impossible within a school of 4500, much less the actual community itself. The reality constructed in his neighborhood is vastly different from what I know. His neighborhood is centered around Sonny and his crew and the power and control they have over the entire town. They have their hands in just about every aspect of the neighborhood, and due to his wealth and power, he has authority. The people of C's community know that Sonny is the boss, and that he, or one of his men, is always watching. I think this unwritten rule changes how the people live their lives because all are wary that they might cross Sonny, and that's not a position anyone wants to be in. The unwritten rules are understood in the neighborhood: that you do what Sonny says. A common theme of the movie is the difference between love, respect, and fear. Does fearing someone mean you respect them? Is fear more powerful then love? I think in some cases both questions are true, but in C's community, they almost have to be. Another social construct is the seemingly required racism. This mindless hatred is made evident through C's friends' actions. I view their racism as a social construct because I think few could stop and tell you why they don't like their African American neighbors. It is a societal expectation for them to be prejudiced towards black people. The racist attitudes are the norm for the neighborhood. C represents how the social constructs can be broken, how racism isn't a given, and how one can forge their own path without regard for what society may deem as "right" or "acceptable".