All American Boys Analysis

When one encounter’s society, he or she notices various responses to traumatic events. A traumatic event is a scenario that results in distress and alters one’s state of security. All American Boys, a novel written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, depicts a scenario where Officer Paul attacks Rashad, a young African male who is accused of stealing. The culture as presented in the novel responds with elements of protest, favoritism, rage, stereotyping, and a distrust in law enforcement. All American Boys depicts the aftermath of traumatic events in society through the prevalence of survivor 's guilt, coping methods utilized by law enforcement officers, and presentation by the media. The prevalence of survivor’s guilt, a consequence of encountering distressing situations, exists in society today along and in Reynold’s and

News outlets tend to expose the victim’s perpective and details surrounding his or life. When one views the media, he or she notices “ the media’s presentation provides an insight into how it feels to be in the eye of the storm. It considers the messaging, of strong internal communications and of stakeholder engagement” (“Workshop Leaders: Miriam Rich, Stephen Kirby & Maryam Samimi”). As Spoony turns the television on , the news channel showcases the video of the incident between Rashad and Officer Galluzzo while comparing pictures of both Rashad in his ROTC uniform to Officer Galluzzo in his uniform. This news station takes the victim’s viewpoint by focusing on the information that Rashad, a African American male who refused to resist arrest, was injured by a caucasian police officer utilizing unnecessary force ( Reynolds and Kiely 94-95). The media’s depiction of traumatic situations through the perspective of the victim exist in today’s society, similar to news outlets who aired the altercation between Rashad and Officer