Trey Character Analysis

He graduated with honors. Worked his ass off to get there in the first place, only to have to come back to the hood and work in a pizza shop.

It's bullshit, and it scares me, because if Trey can't make it by doing everything "right," who can?

I mean...I don't think she is.

For one, eight years is a hell of a long time to be clean. Two, Jay wouldn't go back to all of that. She knows how much it messed us up. She wouldn't put me and Trey through that again.

But.

She put us through it in the first place.

"I don't want you to grow up too fast, baby," Jay says. "I did, and it's not something I can ever get back. I want you to enjoy your childhood as much as possible."

"I'd rather grow up than be homeless."

"Hate that you even have to think like that," she murmurs.

"Pooh and her drug-dealing money, saving the day."

It is kinda messed up. Here my brother is, doing everything right, and nothing's coming from it. Meanwhile, Aunt Pooh's doing everything we've been told not to do, and she's giving us food when we need it.

That's how it goes though. The drug dealers in my neighborhood aren't struggling. Everybody else is.

"But," he says, in a way that tells me to wipe the smile off my face, "although I get the song, now people are gonna take your words at face value. And let's be real: You're clueless about half the shit you rapped about. Clips on your hips?" Trey twists his mouth. "You know damn well you don't know what a clip is, Bri."

"Yes I do!" It's the thingy that goes on the thingy on a gun.

"The worst thing I've done is become poor, Mrs. Jackson! [...] The worst thing!" she says. "That's it! Excuse me because I have the audacity to be poor!

[...]

You think I want my babies sitting in the dark? I'm trying, Mrs. Jackson! I go on interviews. I withdrew from school so these kids could have food! I begged the church not to let me go. I'm sorry if it's not enough for you, but good Lord, I'm trying!"

"I think about everything we've been through, and if I'd gone through it by myself, I'd probably be where Pooh is right now."

Damn. Aunt Pooh did say she became a GD because she didn't have anyone. Now she's in a jail cell without anyone again. I never realized that Trey could've been like her, with a record instead of a diploma. I know there's so much else that made their lives turn out differently, but he makes it sound like the difference between them was me.

"But I believe she's smarter than that," he says. "Don't you?"

"I know she is."

"Can you act like it then?" I ask, and my voice is super soft. "It's not like anybody else does."

This look of surprise quickly appears in my mom's eyes. Slowly, it's replaced by sadness and, soon, realization.

He graduated with honors. Worked his ass off to get there in the first place, only to have to come back to the hood and work in a pizza shop.

It's bullshit, and it scares me, because if Trey can't make it by doing everything "right," who can?

I mean...I don't think she is.

For one, eight years is a hell of a long time to be clean. Two, Jay wouldn't go back to all of that. She knows how much it messed us up. She wouldn't put me and Trey through that again.

But.

She put us through it in the first place.

"I don't want you to grow up too fast, baby," Jay says. "I did, and it's not something I can ever get back. I want you to enjoy your childhood as much as possible."

"I'd rather grow up than be homeless."

"Hate that you even have to think like that," she murmurs.

"Pooh and her drug-dealing money, saving the day."

It is kinda messed up. Here my brother is, doing everything right, and nothing's coming from it. Meanwhile, Aunt Pooh's doing everything we've been told not to do, and she's giving us food when we need it.

That's how it goes though. The drug dealers in my neighborhood aren't struggling. Everybody else is.

"But," he says, in a way that tells me to wipe the smile off my face, "although I get the song, now people are gonna take your words at face value. And let's be real: You're clueless about half the shit you rapped about. Clips on your hips?" Trey twists his mouth. "You know damn well you don't know what a clip is, Bri."

"Yes I do!" It's the thingy that goes on the thingy on a gun.

"The worst thing I've done is become poor, Mrs. Jackson! [...] The worst thing!" she says. "That's it! Excuse me because I have the audacity to be poor!

[...]

You think I want my babies sitting in the dark? I'm trying, Mrs. Jackson! I go on interviews. I withdrew from school so these kids could have food! I begged the church not to let me go. I'm sorry if it's not enough for you, but good Lord, I'm trying!"

"I think about everything we've been through, and if I'd gone through it by myself, I'd probably be where Pooh is right now."

Damn. Aunt Pooh did say she became a GD because she didn't have anyone. Now she's in a jail cell without anyone again. I never realized that Trey could've been like her, with a record instead of a diploma. I know there's so much else that made their lives turn out differently, but he makes it sound like the difference between them was me.

"But I believe she's smarter than that," he says. "Don't you?"

"I know she is."

"Can you act like it then?" I ask, and my voice is super soft. "It's not like anybody else does."

This look of surprise quickly appears in my mom's eyes. Slowly, it's replaced by sadness and, soon, realization.