9/18/2016

Describe an aspect of The Wire that you find persuasive. Is its persuasiveness a good or a bad thing?

It’s easy to notice that The Wire is good at making parallels one wouldn’t expect, and it uses these parallels to prove a point. There is a scene in which policemen are assembled for a meeting, and are reading through a powerpoint presentation. At the same time, teachers from the local school are doing the same. The tone between them is similar, though the police act more lightheartedly. This is implying the teachers’ jobs are as dangerous as being a cop. After the scene of the girl brutally attacking her classmate, the implication of danger is shown to be very real.

Persuasiveness is a useful skill but we see from the show’s characters how it can be used for bad intentions. For example, the different ways drug dealers try to persuade young boys to work for them. They tell the younger boys that they don’t need to stay in school because they would make more money dealing drugs. The younger boys get persuaded by the money they receive from the drug dealers and also by seeing all the things the drug dealers own. Depending on how one uses persuasiveness, determines if it’s being used for good or bad.