Gang Life

One of the most hyperbolic and captivating depictions Beatty makes in The White Boy Shuffle is of gang life in Hillside. As soon as Gunnar moves to his neighborhood, the first impression he gets of the place has to do with gang activity. The LAPD check if he is affiliated with any group right off the bat, so it is obviously part of the core that makes Hillside what it is. A large part of the reason why gang life is so interesting in the novel is simply because of the hilarity Beatty adds in portraying it. Obscure names are used, the gang Gunnar gets involved in is the “Gun Totin’ Hooligans” for example, not what you would normally expect a gang to be called. And the two thugs that introduce themselves while strolling into class during Gunnar’s first day of school stick to the titles of “Hope-to-Die Ranford a.k.a. Pythagoras” and “Velma the Ludicrous Mistress Triple Bitch of Mischief Vinson.” The actions of the gangs, at least the Gun Totin’ Hooligans (which is Beatty’s main focus), are pretty comical as well. The first look that Gunnar gets of the Gun Totin’ Hooligans is from his tent hide out in the department store, and it is quite a scene. As the rest of the gang members casually loot the store, one guy is taking practice shots with the bow and arrow using the mannequins for targets – not the usual gang activity (or gear). Furthermore, we see that the Gun Totin' Hooligans can’t really perform any violent tasks, partly because of their outdated weaponry tied down by questionable tradition, and they rely entirely on Psycho Loco. They don’t really function as a gang if you think about it, and they even have a poet in residence: Gunnar. So really, based on the picture Beatty gives us, it is tough to really take the gangs seriously. Through exaggeration of names, actions, associations, he is drawing out a definite element of silliness.

All that being said, I don’t think that Beatty is writing out a pointless silliness – there are definitely layers of messages that come along with his portrayal. Beatty is stripping away the veil of toughness that gang members raise for themselves and that the general public assumes of gang members, and he is bringing their identities to the most basic level. He is taking all of the image away, and boiling the matter down to its definitive state. By critiquing gangs under such an exposing light, Beatty shows that the killings and violent situations are all silly, and that there is no substance to them (not unimportant, just pointless and irrational). A prime scene in the novel that brings this idea out is the time when Pumpkin dies. His death comes out of the blue, a surprise to everyone, and there is really no good reason as to why he passes. While Psycho Loco and Pumpkin are robbing a Korean owned store, Psycho Loco shoots a warning shot, and a chain of events somehow suffocate Pumpkin. Basically, the death is an accident. Killed by his own partner in crime, Pumpkin’s death is so random and not glorious that it fully magnifies Beatty’s theme of irrationality in gang violence. People really die – a real blow to any relations of the victim – and it’s all from pointless fights made by gangs, a tragic reality.

Even though there is no apparent good in the gang life that Beatty portrays, it would be a mistake to miss out on the other half of gang significance he alludes to. The gang is a community for people who need a community. In the Gun Totin’ Hooligans for instance, Psycho Loco leads the daily charge, but there are a bunch of other faces in the mix tagging along for the ride. Really they do nothing – if Psycho Loco were removed they would just be a group of nearly randomly assembled teens – but the very fact that they are together is what is important. All the young guys are in it just for the sake bonding and finding a second home where they can connect with peers. It is integral to their lives in Hillside, and Gunnar is a good case in showing how connected and important the gangs are. Coming from Santa Monica, he is pretty soft to start off with, but he eventually is fit into the Gun Totin’ Hooligans, even if he plays a unique role, and gang life in general – anybody and everybody finds a place in the system. Early on in the novel, a passage discussed how Gunnar hated the Cub Scout that he was a part of, but the interaction he has with his gang sharply contrasts that, and this outlines the difference between superficial and pure bonding. Due to the silly way that Beatty illustrates gang activity throughout the novel, the question of whether or not there is a “purpose” to gangs is raised, and I think that the answer to that would be that while there is no end purpose (in violence) there is still a comfort and brotherly connection for the members that is worth noting and valuing.

To elaborate on the vital inner connection of gangs Beatty seems to point out, I think the scene in which the Gun Totin’ Hooligans decide to take on the Ghost Town gangsters in unparalleled fashion is especially relevant. This scene is one of the most memorable and fresh in my mind, because it captures the spirit of bonding so well. In an effort to take out their enemies, the gang cross dresses and then heads over to the cluster of bungalows that the Ghost Town gangsters hang around. After the launch of arrows and balloons has been made, the Gun Totin’ Hooligans wrap up their raid and head out. On the car ride back to their own neighborhood, they have a real celebration by blasting opera music really loud. Gunnar “noticed none of the boys bothered to remove their wigs or makeup” and decided to hit “the high notes with the rest of the fellows.” This moment is so surreal in that it breaks every image someone might have of gang life -- the music, apparel, and activity. In their celebration, they don’t care what they look like and really just feel the joy of life in the company of each other. Through Gunnar’s eyes we can see that he really feels at home and is able to fully embrace the moment too.
Beatty’s cartoonish way of presenting gang life is a successful commentary on the aimless reckless nature of violence and importance of brotherhood in gang life.