Choose a non-fiction text which explores a significant aspect of political or cultural life. Show how the writer' presentation enhances your understanding of the chosen aspect of political or cultural life. (Hint: use 'New Crack City', by Will Self).
SET: 17/12/2007
DUE: 07/01/2008
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New crack city
Chose a non fiction text which explores a significant aspect of political and cultural life. Show how the writers presentation enhances your understanding of the chosen aspect of political or cultural life.
“New Crack City” by Will Self Is an overwhelmingly detailed and powerful short story. It explores a very significant aspect of political and cultural life-Drugs. It illustrates to the reader -in a very specific manor, the seedy life of drug users and their habits. In my essay I aim to successfully answer the question above by closely referring to how the writers chosen presentation enhances my understanding of the drug culture- my chosen aspect of political and cultural life.
At the beginning of the story Self’s style appears pleasant and rather inviting when he takes the reader to the crack den;
“What a shame I can’t take my voyeuristic friend, but I can take you…”
I found Self’s particular writing style very pleasing mainly due to the fact that he is telling the story in first person; this is giving the reader a more comprehensive view on what is actually going on. Also the presentation in this particular quote is very unique in that the text is written in a moderately conversation like approach- this making the reader feel as if they are actually a part of the story.
Due to the way Self’ presents the story It becomes very obvious to the reader, that the writer himself has been involved in the London drug scene; this can be clearly seen through his use vivid descriptions and word choice;
“The bowl is formed by pressing a piece of guaze down the barrel of a thin pyrex stem; fragments of crack are sprinkled on top of a bed of ash; the outside of the stem is heated with a blowtorch until the crack begins to deliquesce and melt, then the thin white smoke is drawn off, through the glass body of the pipe and through a long, flat stem. Smoking a crack pipe properly is an art form”
I found this particular passage extremely overpowering. It was rather unexpected as I had not imagined that Self would go into such detail. Although, personally I feel that Self’s abrupt language is one of the key elements to the story- due to the fact that such gripping language is used.
I found New Crack City to be exceedingly unconventional, as Self writes in a completely unoriginal style compared to the work of anyone that I have ever read before.
“To give the constabulary their due, they have turned Bobs place over several times recently, but they never find anything. Bob keeps his stash up his anus”
Here the writer presents himself in a completely unexpected fashion. Many readers would find this sentence in particular very controversial –as its most likely they would disagree with what Self is writing about.
Throughout the story self writes in a very realistic and informative tone. He goes into great detail on the drug culture which he is a custom to. Self gets straight to the point and has no real consideration for the many people who may be offended by his explicit style.
“He drills punters to carefully wrap crack and smack and stash the little waterproof bundles, either up their anuses or in their mouths. As Bob says: ’the filth pull a lot of punters as they’re leaving here, and they sweat you, so make sure you stash that gear’ coz I don’t want to do ten because some dozy prannet had it in his hand .’”
The presentation of this distinct passage enhances my understanding of the story as a whole, purely because it intensifies the realism of the situation that people in the drug business have to endure. The blatant street slang used here made me feel more involved as I felt as if Self was specifically talking to me.
Personally I feel that Self’s main purpose in writing this piece is to show the extent in which drugs effect each level of social class. Throughout the story Self illustrates that society has created a place where money is needed for everything. This is done through his superb presentation and unique style; which is reinforced by his compelling word choice. I really enjoyed the originality of this story, I was intrigued by the overwhelming detail and honesty of his individual style.
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