Code-switching could generate ingenuity without even realizing. Most people who code-switch tend to exert their intellect, learning more than those who aren’t able to use code switching. In the book Losing My cool, there are diverse occasions where we find that Thomas uses code-switching. Despite the fact code-switching is complex to perform, people usually implement it naturally without intent. While Thomas was around people who used the hip-hop culture to promote violence, he is critically thinking about the dilemma that hip-hop culture could lead.
However, code-switching was confusing Thomas about his real identity. On the other hand, Thomas’s father is trying to help him to regain control of his own identity. Code-switching by Thomas, creates a progressive way to capture more of his identity changes because he analyzes every detail of his code-switching process. For Thomas, it was typical to code-switch depending on each occasion, since he had acquired the aspects of an English academic and the dialect acquired for his race. When people switch from two types of languages or dialects often, it is common using code-switching without any consent.
For example, in the article Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch, the author, Matt Thompson states, “folks would slip into a different language or accent without even realizing it or intending to do it”. This means that people with code-switching interactions, commonly use their other language or dialect to express with different people with no intent to code-switch. In the same way, Thomas operates his own code-switching techniques to broaden the possibilities to fit in with the other black kids. Nevertheless, Thomas also uses his code-switching techniques to intimidate other kids in his school.
Along with Thomas’s dialect, and surroundings, he seems exposed to the possibilities of violence. Besides, Thomas adepts the actions of violence to provoke fear in white kids. Such as the book, Losing My Cool (Williams, 29-31) talks about the result of Thomas provoking Bobby, a white kid. Actually, Bobby was a white kid older than Thomas, who felt full of anger after Thomas irritated him. As a result, Bobby threatens Thomas that he is going to beat him. While this is the case, Thomas asks Michael, and Clarence to help him, which then turns out to generate fear on Bobby since they were acting like thugs.
On the contrary, Thomas states, “the thing is, around other black kids, Clarence and Michael were not particularly tough. In fact, around other black kids like RaShawn, they weren’t tough at all”. This means that Michael, and Clarence were code-switching to agitate a sense of fear in Bobby. That aside, Thomas did not feel comfortable with his actions, which somehow, were taking him into a confusion of his own identity, caused by the social aspects in his life. When Thomas was in his teenage years he was adapting to the ideas of other kids about “respect.
Accordingly, to Thomas this idea consisted in using violence in order to gain respect. Therefore, when Thomas learns that Stacey had deceived him (Williams, 51), he feels an uncontrollable anger towards her. While Thomas beats her up abstractedly, he reflects on the influence of violence that impelled him to do that. In the article Violence and Hypermasculinity, the author explains, ‘We live in a society where manhood is all about conquering and violence... And what we don’t realize is that ultimately that kind of manhood kills you. ” This relates to Thomas since he was applying violence to feel brave enough to claim respect.
Thus, Thomas regretted what he did, since he was not fully aware of the consequences of violence. Another essential point to consider about Thomas’s identity is the way he connects with others. Perhaps, Thomas wanted to follow the words of his father, but he also wanted to fit in with the rest of the kids in his school. Yet, the desire to connect with his peers often provoked him to code-switch. In the article Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch, the author, Matt Thompson indicates the process taken to code-switch while trying to fit in. Very often, people code-switch- both consciously and unconsciously- to act more like those around. ”
This means that even if Thomas wasn’t totally involved in the hip-hop culture, and the violence, he still pretended to think as those around him to feel welcomed. Then, the relationship with Thomas’s father dominates his mind to figure out his true identity. Moreover, the influence of his dad was shaping the mind of Thomas. Although, Thomas’s father had numerous concerns about him, he never stopped thinking about the future Thomas was molding for himself, so he tried to give him advices to impact his way of thinking.
An illustration of the advices of his father is in the book Losing My Cool, where his father explains, “son, always do your best, but remember that I really don’t care if we ever have another black athlete or entertainer”(Williams, 39). In other words, the idea that his father is trying to give Thomas, is that he always has to try to his best, but he should focus on something that would impact his future positively. Although, Thomas is seeking for the essential message from each advice, he was comprehending what could construct a better future for him.
Along with Thomas’s dialect, and surroundings, he seems exposed to the possibilities of violence. Besides, Thomas adepts the actions of violence to provoke fear in white kids. Such as the book, Losing My Cool (Williams, 29-31) talks about the result of Thomas provoking Bobby, a white kid. Actually, Bobby was a white kid older than Thomas, who felt full of anger after Thomas irritated him. As a result, Bobby threatens Thomas that he is going to beat him. While this is the case, Thomas asks Michael, and Clarence to help him, which then turns out to generate fear n Bobby since they were acting like thugs. On the contrary, Thomas states, “the thing is, around other black kids, Clarence and Michael were not particularly tough. In fact, around other black kids like RaShawn, they weren’t tough at all”. This means that Michael, and Clarence were code-switching to agitate a sense of fear in Bobby.
That aside, Thomas did not feel comfortable with his actions, which somehow, were taking him into a confusion of his own identity, caused by the social aspects in his life. When Thomas was in his teenage years he was adapting to the ideas of other kids about “respect. Accordingly, to Thomas this idea consisted in using violence in order to gain respect. Therefore, when Thomas learns that Stacey had deceived him ( Williams, 51), he feels an uncontrollable anger towards her. While Thomas beats her up abstractedly, he reflects on the influence of violence that impelled him to do that. In the article Violence and Hypermasculinity, the author explains, “We live in a society where manhood is all about conquering and violence… And what we don’t realize is that ultimately that kind of manhood kills you. ” This relates to Thomas since he was using violence to feel brave enough to claim respect.
Thus, Thomas regretted what he did, since he was not fully aware of the consequences of violence. Another essential point to consider about Thomas’s identity is the way he connects with others. Perhaps, Thomas wanted to follow the words of his father, but he also wanted to fit in with the rest of the kids in his school. Yet, the desire to connect with his peers often provoked him to code-switch. In the article Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch, the author, Matt Thompson indicates the process taken to code-switch while trying to fit in.
Very often, people code-switch- both consciously and unconsciously- to act more like those around. ” This means that even if Thomas wasn’t totally involved in the hip-hop culture, and the violence, he still pretended to think as those around him to feel welcomed. Then, the relationship with Thomas’s father dominates his mind to figure out his true identity. Moreover, the influence of his dad was shaping the mind of Thomas. Although, Thomas’s father had numerous concerns about him, he never stopped thinking about the future Thomas was molding for himself, so he tried to give him advices to impact his way of thinking.
An illustration of the advices of his father is in the book Losing My Cool, where his father explains, “son, always do your best, but remember that I really don’t care if we ever have another black athlete or entertainer”(Williams, 39). In other words, the idea that his father is trying to give Thomas, is that he always has to try to his best, but he should focus on something that would impact his future positively. Although, Thomas is seeking for the essential message from each advice, he was comprehending what could construct a better future for him. Reverse engineered
