Families and their Boundaries

In The Wire, we saw a more traditional family; a family that is genetically related, help to take care of one another, albeit in an interesting sort of way.  We see D'Angelo beating a murder trial with the assistance of his cousin, who runs a local drug ring.  We also see the "family" of the drug trade working together, perhaps working to out perform one another, and administering discipline as they see fit.  There are several other types of atypical "families" portrayed in the series as well; the police, the politicians, the prosecutors office.  All of these groups are tied together in some way with a system of rules or principals that guide them.  Some of these "families" work together more closely than others, although there is clearly some dislike amongst members of the groups.  However, as Linda Williams points out in her article, the series also discusses the "family" of people living in Baltimore, the "family" of the inter-related characters portrayed in the various seasons of The Wire, and that they are all intertwined to tell a bigger story.  This is a family unit with multiple points of view and the large family that is the show can perhaps be broken down into clans that comprise the family; the policemen, the unions, the politicians, the prosecuting attorneys, the individuals within the drug trade and those who simply try to eek out a living within the city limits.

Ghost Dog also shows us groups of individuals one might consider a non-traditional family; Ghost Dog and his pigeons, the mob, the neighborhood in which Ghost Dog inhabits including a young girl who likes to read books and the neighborhood ice cream man.  Ghost Dog clearly provides food and shelter to his homing pigeons, and they seem to provide a sort of social support network for him, allowing him conduct business so that he can provide for them.  Ghost Dog mourns the loss of his family members after their slaughter and the one remaining pigeon does appear to mourn for Ghost Dog at the end of the film as well.  Likewise, we see a mob family (although not likely all related) that sticks together through thick and thin even though their fortunes are dwindling and as they struggle to eek out an existence in an ever-changing world.  I would say that the neighborhood in which Ghost Dog lives also serves as a family; the individuals in the neighborhood seem to know his name and keep out of his way.  The french-speaking ice cream truck entrepreneur and the your girl in the neighborhood also serve as a family to Ghost Dog by playing chess with him, communicating with him, discussing books with him and caring about him as he prepares for his final showdown against the mob and mourn him when he dies.

The role of family, whether in a traditional or no-traditional sense, are common themes in Ghost Dog and in The Wire and these complex relationships help to contribute to the story lines of each show.