C-Note Character Analysis in Gang Leader for a Day

A “regular” squatter and “hustler” in Robert Taylor, C-Note gets his name from his ability to make “one hundred dollars” in “a hundred ways.” C-Note’s hustles including fixing cars and appliances, though he sometimes runs afoul of JT’s control if he doesn’t pay sufficient “tax” to the BKs to continue his operations.

C-Note Quotes in Gang Leader for a Day

The Gang Leader for a Day quotes below are all either spoken by C-Note or refer to C-Note. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin edition of Gang Leader for a Day published in 2008.

He [JT] had no real sense of what I would actually be writing—because, in truth, I didn’t know myself. Nor did I know if he’d be upset with me for having seen him beat up C-Note, or if perhaps he’d try to censor me.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 67

Explanation and Analysis:

C-Note Character Timeline in Gang Leader for a Day

The timeline below shows where the character C-Note appears in Gang Leader for a Day. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Sudhir meets others in the Homes, including “regular squatters” like C-Note, a handyman with many “side hustles” who washes cars and mends appliances for tenants in... (full context)

...of the prostitution ring taxed (but not directly managed) by the Black Kings. He observes C-Note in particular, who tells him his nickname comes from the fact that “he has a... (full context)

C-Note does not back down from JT, and refuses to move his auto-repair equipment from the... (full context)

...function in the Homes and its violent streak. Sudhir remains disturbed by the beating of C-Note, although he does not bring it up with JT right away. He instead waits until... (full context)

...car, and wonders what to do. This time, Sudhir says something to JT, noting that C-Note, unlike Brass, was paying his tax, and that the BKs seemed to beat Brass unnecessarily... (full context)

JT responds to Sudhir, however, that both Brass and C-Note had “questioned his authority,” and that they therefore deserved punishment, and that it was an... (full context)

...time on political organizing efforts. Sudhir meets with Kris and Michael, two other “hustlers” like C-Note, and helps them as they run a temporary car-washing business one day. When Michael gets... (full context)

...Bee-Bee, a man they believe has just brutally beaten his girlfriend Taneesha. The squatters, including C-Note, are afraid that Bee-Bee will try to leave the building to avoid punishment. Sudhir goes... (full context)

Sudhir continues his research. He interviews C-Note and some of the other “hustlers,” finding out that a lot of their “manual working,”... (full context)

...homes. JT and Ms. Bailey have gone around to tenants with boarders, to people like C-Note, and to prostitutes like Clarisse, asking them for more money, since they’re apparently making more... (full context)