Often times, the desperation that festers in the lowest class neighborhoods of these inner cities only amplifies the danger lurking. Be it rape, random violence, or theft, inner cities are a place where crimes against women and men both prevail. When any individual feels threatened or scared, his or her power dwindles as the fear increases. In many pieces of literature, we see women in poor situations appearing to succumb to the circumstances they are in because they are female. In West Side Story, Maria frequently is shuffled around like a doll because of the city turf war. Maggie of Stephan Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets falls prey to a city man and his city life when she develops an infatuation with the ideas of both. In a report provided by the United Nations Population Fund, the story of a girl named Geeta who grows up a pavement dweller in Mumbai, India describes the harsh living conditions poor families are subjected to in the dirty downtown streets.
Though not from a man's perspective, perhaps the grittiest description of the filth, bugs, and exhaustion of living at rock bottom on inner city streets can be found in George Orwell's story Down and Out in Paris in London. Amidst this description lies a sickening account of a young girl held against her will to be sold to men for sex. All of these accounts show the danger of living at the bottom of the social and economic chain in cities, especially for women. Initially, one might walk away from these stories with an ache in their heart for the situations of the women. However, one can also look deeper to a secondary role of women in these pieces of writing. These roles might not be the leads, but they show that in due course, it is the women of these cities that hold the ultimate power, despite their circumstances.
Anyone who has seen the play West Side Story is aware of the two main themes, circling around the ideas of gang violence and the love affair between Tony and Maria. In addition, viewers are also aware of how the love story becomes the victim of the gang war. However, when considering the gangs, one must determine at least some of the reasons why turf wars seem so prevalent in the cities. One very rarely sees knife fights, fist fights, and death over a bale of hay or an acre of land in the rural areas of our country. A significant portion of the problem is the restriction of space. When people flock to America, because “everything is free in America” the population skyrockets but that does not mean the amount of living space also increases. A place to call home is important to families and cultures around the world, be it in the United States or Puerto Rico. When someone tries to walk in to your home uninvited, we feel ready to take on the world to protect what is ours. In city life, crossing over into another's home, or community, is all too easy to do when space is so limited.
When we have little, we are more apt to fight harder to keep it and protect it. This is exactly why the turf war develops between the Americans and the Puerto Ricans. The territoriality festers and escalates until it climaxes into full blown war with another culture. Both cultures also feel territorial over the women of their families. To cross over the line drawn between cultures on the pavement was just as dangerous as engaging someone who was not in your family in conversation, much less as embrace. As one can observe in the dance seen in the play, Bernardo is quick to put an end to the relationship developing between Tony and Maria. Bernardo stops the clasping of hands between the young lovers, and orders Maria home immediately, telling her “We are family, Maria. Go.” Maria must succumb to the orders of her brother in law and to the danger of the escalating situation as both sides are put on the offensive. A number of times in the play, the women are sent away for their safety or while the men plan ways to stake claim to their territory. As a woman, Maria does not have power of her situation. She must listen to Bernardo, and she appears in potentially violent situations.
What is interesting, however, is that ultimately Maria is the one to make a decision that sets to action the eventual deaths of both Tony and Bernardo. As the story develops, Maria and Tony fall in love despite the hatred around them. Tony's love for Maria blossoms so he is willing to do anything for her. When Maria asks Tony to stop the fight-to-end-all-fights between the Americans and the Puerto Ricans, she is ultimately sending Tony to his death. It is a woman the dictates the fate of the two powerful men. It is very unlikely that a scenario like this one could have played out in any other environment. The elements of why a turf war exists in a city and the love between Tony and Maria make for the ingredients of a story that could only occur in the city. Instead of the city being a dangerous place for the women, it is a fateful place for the men.
