Hypes Symbol Analysis

“Hype” is a slang word for a drug addict used by many of the tenants profiled in the book. The tenants regularly complain about hypes for two main reasons. The first is that they are associated with community degradation and crime. Living next to a house filled with hypes is considered a highly undesirable situation, and many of the tenants find themselves in this position only after eviction has removed their housing situation beyond their control. The second reason people complain about hypes is because many of them are willing to perform temporary, informal labor for very little money. Landlords like Quentin and Sherenna turn to crews of hypes to fix up properties, clean out vacant apartments, scrap metal, and do other occasional tasks in exchange for small amounts of cash. This drives down the amount of money offered to people who are less desperate because they do not have to feed an addiction, like Lamar. The exploitation of “hypes” is thus representative of the way in which wealthier people, and particularly landlords, manage to make huge profits out of the poverty and depravation of the inner city.