The Hustlers at Scores – Emma Fournier
This article is packed with a multitude of cultural information. For example, one angle speaks to some of Rosie’s culture, pointing out the differences between her childhood consisting of selling bulk candy and getting into fights at her school in Rockland County and the contrasting glamorous ambience of the New York City club scene. Amongst many other displays of cultural information, the article also reveals a small amount of insight into her Cambodian parents’ culture, as they are said to have gotten caught up in the American Dream and ultimately prioritized the allure of the material world over their two children.
Some of the background information that was conveyed in this storytelling included the synopses of the women involved in this intense recollection of the past. This information gives the reader a glimpse of the lives of these individuals which helps to better understand them as people and the attitude that they shared towards those men. The descriptions of the informants brought those individuals to life because it gives the audience a succinct, yet extremely informative idea of who they really are. Not only did their basic demographic and physical descriptors help create this image, but the various indicators of their personalities or mindsets and especially the direct quotations formed this telling that became extremely vivid. The author effectively creates a verbal portrait of the informants by maintaining the integrity of each individual’s persona throughout the entirety of the piece.
The illustrations of the informants both add texture and help set the scene by constructing a narrative that draws the audience into the world and minds of these women. This article provides such a clear picture for the reader that it almost feels like you are in the room with them and observing each of these occurrences as they happen in real time. Additionally, the portrayals of the men involved in this scene supply the curious with a better understanding as to why the women felt justified in their actions. Personally, I found myself cheering them on as they empowered themselves to shut down the corruption in their own unique way.
The whole of this narrative thoroughly draws out the truth of the situation despite how it may appear at a glance. Initially, the story seems to shed light on some badass women serving justice from their perspective. However, a larger theme reveals itself as we learn how ugly and terrifying this lifestyle actually was for these women. The shame, guilt, and fear becomes exposed throughout, and it displays the lifestyle’s reality. In facing the inevitable consequences of their actions, the women feared jail time for their crimes. In spite of the potential ramifications, they persisted in a seemingly unfazed manner. Rosie even states that she was aware of why they did what they did: “Hurt people hurt people”, which exemplifies the entire motive behind this operation. This article is an incredible communication of the (cliché) concept: ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. The author truly uncovered the actuality of an event that appeared so differently than how the insiders experienced it.