SPOTLIGHT

The Wire: Omar Devon Little

Hello everybody I'm carter and this is a new series I have created called character spotlight. In this series I will focus on breaking down a particularly fantastic character from a television program. The Wire is a show from HBO that is clearly deserving of an overwhelmingly positive critical response. All of the characters are worthy of praise due to the way they are perfectly written. However, today we are focusing on the legendary Baltimore stick up man Omar Little. His status in the fictional version of Baltimore is almost of mythic proportions. He is a truly special achievement of television in general. USA Today even went as far as to name Omar Little as one of the ten reasons they still love television There is greatness in the way that he is far more unique than the other characters and how he plays with preconceived expectations. Without further ado, let's delve into the superb character of Omar Little.



As a child Omar was orphaned at a very young age and left to his grandmother Josephine to raise him. Josephine was the one to teach Omar the moral code that he started to follow. Before season five there was a short prequel about Omar and his brother's young lives released. In it he is shown with his brother No Heart Anthony stealing money from a man who was not in "the game." After they did so, he threatened to shoot his brother if they did not give the money back. Here you can see Omar's budding code of ethics. Omar Little's intelligence is a very noteworthy trait to his character. We only witness a handful of street players that are able to match his wit. After his attendance at Edmondson High School he started to rob drug dealers and proceed to distribute the product himself. He managed this feat for more 10 years by selling off a portion of the drugs and giving another portion away in exchange for the safekeeping of him. Knowing this, Stringer Bell refers to him as a "messed up Robin Hood." For jobs, Omar stakes out an area with his keen eye for detail. He makes sure to know everything about an area before he attacks. A gift that comes in handy for Omar is his ability to hide from others searching for him. Even if he has no ghetto addicts to safe keep him, he can always rely on his ability to disappear in the wind. Avon and Marlo's people search relentlessly for Omar with no luck. Omar was only found on one occasion, in which he escaped by jumping out of a window. These abilities have helped him to stay alive day after day. As an effect of this occupation he states that he has been in jail enough times to not take it personally.



Omar's strict moral code sets him far apart from the other street level players. His behaviors are unique and really make him stand out from the crowd. This is the type of guy who robs a ghetto convenience store of drugs and then pays for a pack of cigarettes. He's a hardcore street player who drives his grandmother to church every Sunday. Omar plays by his own rules of what is acceptable in the game. Likewise, self-control is an important asset in his arsenal. He refuses to swear and rarely loses his temper. Even though he has killed many men, cursing is strictly taboo to him. This strange but compelling moral code contributes to his amazing on screen presence. A surprising fact about Omar is his openness about his sexuality. He's so comfortable with the legacy he's built that he does not even have to hide that part of him. Players are too busy worrying about that shotgun to even think about his homosexuality. All of these are reasons to why we collectively love Omar so much. He is the definition of why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. The stereotypes he crushes make him unlike anything we have witnessed before in any form of media.



Omar Little is fondly remembered as one of the most iconic characters to ever grace our television screens. Actor Michael K. Williams is rightfully commended for his mesmerizing portrayal. He is the thug we all want to be. So that's why it's so hard to say goodbye to Mr. Omar Little. He went out the only way he could've. A cheap shot to the back of the head. The kid who did it didn't even know what he was doing!!! The heartbreak of his death was utterly unbearable to many others and I but I digress. We must remember him as the self made icon he built. Nobody in Baltimore was ever brave enough to go face to face with the legend himself. I would suggest watching The Wire just for this antihero homosexual stick up man. If there is another TV character you want me to focus on next please comment them below. I would also benefit from some constructive criticism to make this series better. Thanks for reading everybody!