I have chosen to write about the War Zone section of the novel “Twilight Los Angeles, 1992” by Anna Deavere Smith. I found this section of the text to be the most interesting and memorable. There are 24 voices included in this section, and they are all telling stories about the action of the LA riots from their own point of view. I think that these voices were put together because they all are discussing different aspects of violence in relation to the LA riots, which makes them similar. They have all been influenced in some way, big or small, by this violence. However, these characters also differ greatly. For example, in a span of only 19 pages (pg 99- 118), you hear stories from an ex-gang member, a man who simply got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, a fire captain, and a mother whose unborn baby “caught” the bullet that could have killed her. These stories come from such diverse voices, however, they are all tied together with a common thread- the LA riots and the violence involved in them.
The most memorable story in this section is one that I previously mentioned called “Too Look Like Girls from Little.” It is about a mother, Elvira Ellis, who was shot while pregnant with a little girl. This section really stood out to me because it is such an insane story. Also, this retelling of the story takes place after the baby involved has already been born, creating a contrast between the past and the present and allowing the reader to see the outcome of the story as it is being told. This voice in particular is memorable to me because Elvira is so strong as a mother, and even through this short moment you are a part of as a reader, you are able to see just how much she cares for her kids. Even as she is dealing with a gunshot wound, she stays strong and ensures that her children are not worried about her.
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