Toxic Masculinity and Gun Violence Themes in Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Essay Example

Violence and crime rates will only be amplified when toxic masculinity is integrated into social norms. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds quintessentially expresses the consequences of both toxic masculinity and gun violence. It looks into themes like losing a loved one, unhealthy coping mechanisms, toxic masculinity, and the consequences of those who decide to take revenge. Toxic masculinity leads to repressing emotions, which would lead to violent outbursts. 

Suppressing any negative emotions is one of the biggest contributions to toxic masculinity and violent crimes. The first rule that Will lives by to not to be targeted in a shantytown is not to come off as weak. Pursuant to Will, when living in a dangerous neighborhood, there is “no crying” (Reynolds 135). With an expectation to repress one's emotions can lead to unpredictable and unhealthy ways to cope. 

Many victims or those who lost loved ones may not be able to see the light of justice from law enforcement. In neighborhoods that resemble shantytowns, one phrase that many learn to not be neutralized would be “no snitching” (Reynolds 176). This shows how perpetrators can get away with crimes, which can contribute to an ambiance of gangs, robberies, and other illegal activities within the area. This fact alone is appalling, it gets worse for those who can’t do anything for their loved ones, thus knowing the victims may never receive an ounce of justice. From Will’s experience, his brother “Shawn was shot and killed” (Reynolds 3). In a circumstance like this, the idea of violent outbursts and the intentions of revenge is not too far off. 

For many people in any unsolicited circumstances like Will’s, vengeance sounds like the only way to get justice for those they care about. This idea was acknowledged by the locals of Will’s neighborhood. Locals within this neighborhood were taught that if a loved one dies, one must “always get revenge” (Reynolds 176). This mentality would lead to an epidemic of crime. With the combination of repressed emotions, people may look towards violence to express how they feel. Moreover, if a job to terminate a certain person doesn’t go well,  causalities can result in the death of those who are disassociated with the situation near them.

These causalities could have affected anyone, even naive children. When Will was a child, his childhood best friend “Dani was killed before she ever learned the rules” (Reynolds 141). During this time, Dani was only “Eight years old” (Reynolds 127). This goes to show how worst-case scenarios aren’t impossible. Dani’s death resulted in a gunfight or an open fire was “like firecrackers coming from everywhere” (Reynolds 131). This is a result of how gun violence and a lack of experience when handling a gun is a danger to society as a whole. 

In summary, when toxic masculinity is integrated into society, morale sounds like a foreign word to many. Furthermore, toxic masculine traits such as suppressing emotions unless it is to act out in violence are at fault for many causalities within Will’s neighborhood. For the first rule, crying must be avoided to have the illusion of being strong. Then, one must never ‘snitch’ on another for any reason. Lastly, if someone wants justice, they can’t leave it in the hands of the authorities. Instead, bringing matters into one's hands seems normal. Even if someone plans on getting revenge, they may accidentally kill anyone, even children. These absurd rules are what people in Will’s neighborhood live by. Unwanted circumstances like this are replicated in reality, especially in slums or shantytowns.