Crime And Punishment In Jason Reynolds 'Long Way Down'

Mallory Benincaso
English 2B
1/4/23

Crime and Punishment in Long Way Down

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the nature of a crime, the subsequent punishment, and who is truly affected by it in Jason Reynolds’ Long Way Down using the first person point of view. Using Shawn’s point of view, we will discover the environment in which people can become a victim or an aggressor within a community. We will also explore why he would commit a crime to that degree and his perspective of taking accountability of that crime. Additionally, we will learn his perspective of serving justice using his own words, actions, and beliefs. People can make their own personal decisions based on the social condition, punishments, and morals. “Why did you do it?” Everyone wants to know. People keep talking and asking and wondering, but nobody knows. He had it coming. Nobody messes with family, everyone knows that. Had to follow The Rules. In Long Way Down, Reynolds explains

Yeah. But don’t get it twisted. “Who says I’m guilty?” He messed with my family. My friend. Buck was like my brother. I had to. You don't really understand until you’re in that position. But, trust me, I understand. The perception someone may have on whether a person is guilty of a crime or not varies. Some people think only about the law, while others consider the emotions they were feeling and circumstances they were in. According to the law, Shawn is guilty; he murdered another person with intent to kill them. However, to some people, Shawn was not guilty. When you are in a social setting where there is lots of crime and a constant incentive to get revenge on someone, some people can excuse his behavior. They can excuse it because not only does it happen often in the community, but also because Shawn was following the rules that so many other people in that setting follow too. People can understand and formulate opinions on a situation differently based on their morals and