Down These Mean Streets

Throughout the course of the book, Piri belongs to various communities: his family, his gang, Harlem, and prison. How does Piri fit in within these communities?What are his roles? How integrated is he in each community? How meaningful is a sense of community to Piri? Write an essay about Piri’s place within his communities.

Piri says a couple of times that he really takes after his father. In what ways are Piri and his father similar? In what ways are they different? How might their similarities affect their psychologies and how they interact with one another? Write an essay about the book’s father-son relationship.

Piri has some important women in his life: his mother, Trina, Dulcien, other girlfriends, Mrs. Washington, Alayce, and his aunt. How does Piri treat these various women? Why does he treat some women so poorly and others so well? What purposes to the various women serve in Piri’s life? Write an essay about Piri’s treatment of women.