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Police Brutality In All American Boys

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In english class, one is most likely to read at least one fiction novel throughout the school year. Fiction books, while reading them, create images in your mind, therefore making them enjoyable to read. Novels often express a central theme that teaches the reader a lesson or helps them critically think about morality, their future, their fears, or their purpose in life. Books excites the imagination, and reflects the world we live in. For example, in “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, the book includes events that fall under police brutality. In the book, Rashad, the main character, finds himself on the ground being physically abused, shortly after walking into Jerry’s, while trouble stirs up around him, with Quinn and his friends witnessing it and feeling terrible, not saying anything about it. Fiction should not be taken out of a school’s curriculum by the school board because one might not be aware of the problems around them that are expressed through these books.
Police Brutality in Books …show more content…

Police brutality is the use of any force exceeding that reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose. Rashad, the protagonist, was physically abused by policeman, Paul Galluzzo. “A fist in the kidney. A knee in the back. A forearm to the back of the neck.” (Reynolds/Kiely 22) The authors’ purpose of this quote, was to show the pain Rashad was going through; to exhibit an example of what others could have experienced. Reading this book or any other novel that expresses the social issue, police brutality, would help one realize the importance of fiction in school curriculum. “Paul! Paul was hitting the other guy, again, and again, smashing his face into the sidewalk.” (Reynolds/Kiely 38) The authors try to explain the unnecessary actions of Paul, the cop. Therefore, expressing police brutality though the

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