Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers Book Analysis

In my opinion, the function of Bad Boy is to inform of the reality of Walter Dean Myers life, whilst entertaining the audience. The book highlights many of the struggles Walter had personally as well as issues black people in Harlem faced during the 1940s and 50s.The author reflects on his life without glamorizing it, or trying to make them seem appealing. Readers are both informed and entertained by this memoir. 

In this text, Myers tells his life story in full detail. He speaks about segregation, along with racism.  The audience is taken through his headspace while exploring identity. As stated on page 139, “I was trying to figure out the business of race. Most of what I read and heard was negative. Blacks had been slaves. Blacks had been lynched. Blacks could not eat in this place or that. There was little positive published about blacks except in the black press.”  The strong details remarkably explain his thought process. This also provides an idea of the reality of growing up in a mixed race family during the height of the civil rights movement. 

This piece of work actively engages and entertains the reader. Myers reflects on music, books, and activities he enjoyed throughout his life, creating a basis for relatability, moreover; allusions are perfectly woven into the text, both including and excluding certain groups. A part of what makes this such an amusing memoir is Myers’ ability to tell stories and evoke strong emotions. For instance, “I went to the bathroom, opening the door as if I were just a casual user. Frank and the guy were in one of the booths, fighting. Frank was struggling, making whimpering noises as the other guy tried to pin him to the back of the booth. I hit the guy in the back of the neck twice, and he slumped forward, sliding down Frank's body. I pulled Frank out of the booth, and we ran out of the bathroom.” The way the scene is described helps the audience to visualize, while also adding suspense. 

One may argue that the function of the text is just to tell the life story of Myers, however, there is a deeper purpose. Though the majority of the book takes the audience through the first 17 years of the author's life, there is more reasoning behind the choice to write this memoir. I believe that this was written in order to relate to people, and expose the actuality of growing up as a person of color during the civil rights movement. 

All in all, the main purpose of Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers is to entertain, in addition to telling the truth about aging in Harlem while segregation was in place, and many minorities were fighting for ultimate equality.