Crooklyn Too

Spike Lee's 1994 semi-autobiography Crooklyn has proven itself to be a very societal and culturally significant film. We have reached the part where Troy is just returning home from her aunt and uncle's home in the South. She embarked on an early departure because she demanded that she return home to Brooklyn. Despite her overall disdain for the section of the country south of the Mason-Dixie line, she seemed to joyfully make the acquaintance of her adopted cousin Viola. Before her exodus out of Confederate territory, Troy expresses to Viola that she would like them to rendezvous in her hood in New York. Viola is then seen beckoning to Troy as she exits the Southern Carmichaels' residence. During the "Southern" episode in the film, if you will, Viola demonstrates great hostility and venom toward her mother. We can infer that perhaps the most formidable catalyst for these sentiments is the fact that Viola is in fact adopted, which she often uses to rationalize her relentless defile of her mother. Shortly before Troy leaves for New York, Aunt Song's dog's carcass is launched from the couch as she pulls out the bed for the children to sleep on. During both this scene and the following seen in which Aunt Song buries her dog, Viola's lack of emotion as well as her previous comments lead me to believe she murked the dog.