“There was and is a theater of the hood: pulling it up with a flourish, tugging it down to settle in its energetic slouch.”
This sentence is designed in that it presents an idea and then continues on to demonstrate it through sensory images. The use of both “was” and “is” shows that the stylish movement of hoodies is still very prominent nowadays despite its old origins. Patterson uses the word “theater” to illustrate the dramatization of the body when one wears a hoodie. The body is literally enlarged by the clothing and the easy flip of the hood is like a choreographed dance move to the music of daily life. The word “flourish” has a soft sound, much like hands pulling at fabric and hair shuffling against it as a hood is pulled up. The author also describes the “slouch” as “energetic”, which is paradoxical in that a physical slouch never seems that way, making hoodies seem even more stylish as they can always appear chic while still being comfortable. This sentence helps support Patterson’s claim that hoodies became popular through the lively youth, “a generation of hip-hop kids”.
- Troy Patterson, “The Politics of the Hoodie” New York Times Magazine, March 2016. 2
