Summary Of Fist Stick Knife Gun

The book Fist Stick Knife Gun by Geoffrey Canada is a compelling personal account of growing up in some of the most dangerous areas and how he decided to take what he learned on the streets to create something different for future generations. The first story starts out when Geoffrey was four years old. That is the age he realized violence was a part of life. He tells a story of his brother’s jacket being stolen at the playground. Geoffrey assumed his mother would intervene and help get the jacket back. Instead she told the oldest brother who was six to go out and get the jacket back. If he returned home without the jacket more trouble would be waiting at home for him than out in the streets. His brother returned after a long ten

This was the first remembered lesson of not being a victim to the streets. The mother moved by deep love and fear for her children's safety did not want them to be victims of the violence out on the street. Unknowingly, she was inviting them to be the violence in the streets to avoid becoming a victim. There are two perspectives that can be taken from this scene. One, such a young age to lose the safety of innocence to the realization of violence that exists. Or two, a gift of the realization to the violence that exists with learning the skills to navigate the neighborhood so he may live to be an adult. The story moves to an eight year old Geoff who has his first encounter with being robbed. As he was walking back home from the corner store a boy about his age befriended and then robbed Geoff of his change, sixty-one cents. For most people sixty-one cents would be insignificant. For a single woman on welfare with three boys it is quite significant. The striking part is that Geoff wants to fight back yet he does not. At his

With all the acumen he acquired on the streets he still used it when he would return home on breaks from college. The twist was that guns were becoming more and more prevalent which was yet another lesson on the violent streets. Geoff acquired a handgun for himself thinking he needed the additional protection given the changing circumstances of the violence he returned to on breaks. Instead of the gun giving reassurance, it lended a sense of being infallible. Confidence changed to arrogance, caution gave way to walking into daring circumstances. Thankfully Geoff was self aware enough to understand that if he kept the gun he would end of dead due to poor judgement from his skewed thinking from carrying a gun. Graduation came for Geoff and with it the hope of a job and making a