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Brent begins the story saying “My first victim…” (1) Which is ironic as he himself is the victim and the woman, the offender. Though he did not harm the young woman or cause any trouble he says the ‘victim’ “picked up her pace and was soon running in earnest”. There seemed to have been a wide gap between them but the young woman walked so fast as if he was alarmingly close to her. He admits that he is suffering from insomnia and he “was [actually] stalking sleep, not defenseless wayfarers”. Staples had just moved to Chicago when he encountered this and since then he realized that he had inherited the ability to “alter public spaces in ugly ways” just because he is a black man.
Stereotypes have the power to label someone and rob them of all their hard work or strike fear into others. One such stereotype is that of black men being more dangerous;yet, one black writer voices his opinion on such a stereotype. In the essay “Just Walk On By” by Brent Staples, Staples describes his experience of being a large black man and how it affects the people around him. From people locking their doors to pedestrians crossing the street to avoid a confrontation, people seem to be afraid of Staples just from a glance. Yet Staples does nothing to cause this fear, rather his stereotype is to blame.
It is easy to plan out a picture on how Staple felt during this time. He himself made the readers think that he was all the things people presume about black males by starting the short story with “my first victim was a women” (Staples 240).Automatically the reader draws conclusion that the stereotype is true, when in reality it is just a bad rumor the people have created, and later it is realized that he is the opposite of our
Staples expresses his argument with real life experiences that have caused him to be stereotyped as a black male. People often think black males are “thugs”, “muggers”, or “rapist”, Staples points out that not all blacks fall under this category, especially him. Staples was first stereotyped when he was out walking at night (because this is what he likes to do) and comes across a white female who perceived him as a mugger or a rapist. This is when he realizes that he was “indistinguishable from the muggers who occasionally seeped into the area”( Pg.301 Para. 2). Staples comes to the conclusion that “being perceived as dangerous is a hazard itself” (Pg. 301 Para.)
For instance, when a “white [and] well dressed” women in Chicago “glimpses” at Staples “she picked up her pace and was soon running in earnest.” Another example of Staples experiencing discrimination, is when he worked as a journalist in Chicago. Per to Staples, “One day, rushing into the office of a magazine I was writing for with a dead line story in hand, I was mistaken for a burglar” (240). In other words, Staples is viewed as a “youngish black man-broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoves into [his] pockets” (238). Therefore, people assume that he’s a “mugger” or “rapist” based on his
Imagine reading a short story that makes the reader feel sympathetic for the main character, then imagine reading the same story but in a different context. While reading the two articles "Black Men and Public Spaces" and "From Parallel Time", the audience reads the story of how people react to a man because of the color of his skin. Although they tell the same story, they have many differences in the way they are written, such as the word choice and the audiences that the short stories were written for. Both of these stories talk about the same experiences, but they are both written quite differently. They are especially different in the detail that is incorporated into these pieces of work.
It Never Stops Driving along the road, you hear a screeching siren and see blinding lights flashing in your rearview mirror. Instantly feeling your stomach drop as the officer waves you to pull over. The officer greets you with a firm “Hello, may I see your driver’s license and registration?”. While handing it to the officer, I notice that he brings his search dog to sniff the vehicle for drugs. The dog begins to scratch at the door alerting the officer that there is something inside.
In his essay, “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space”, Brent Staples uses the rhetorical strategies of anecdote and diction in order to convey his message that due to racial discrimination black people (mainly men) have to change the way they naturally conduct themselves in public for they run the risk of something terrible happening to them. Staples uses anecdotes to bring in the personal side of the message to the audience. Staples creates a persona of innocence and almost alienation in his writing. Anecdotes such as his both instances in which he accidently scared women on walks and the time in which he and another reporter were mistaken for murder suspects or robbers are used to show real life proof of his message.
Throughout his passage, “Just Walk on By”, Brent Staples sends the message that discrimination has affected the lives of many in several negative ways. He particularly uses irony and satire as tools to prove his point, using them almost like a verbal blade to cut through public image and stereotypes, as well as his proficient use of powerful diction and syntax to strike rememberable points into the reader’s mind. Staple’s use of irony is very simple yet effective. His message is that he is not a stereotypical black criminal, so he portrays himself as one to show how ridiculous that it really is. When he says “My first victim was a woman”, he tries to conjure up images of a stalker or a murderer or even just a plain old mugger, which is what the stereotype of a large, black man, like he explains that he is immediately following this statement.
Staples comes to this conclusion from his own personal stories of people thinking he was a robber or mugger. Right from the start he sets the tone by speaking of his “first victim” and her reaction to him walking on the street. Staples explains that when people see black men like himself they quickly jump to conclusions about their character.
“Black Men and Public Spaces” Diagnostic Essay Brent Staples in “Black Men and Public Spaces,” illustrates the inescapable prejudices and stereotyping that African-American men face in America. He does this by relating to his audience through his personal experiences with stereotyping, and sharing his malcontent on how these events have made him alter his way of living. From “victimizing” woman, watching people lock themselves away, and having to whistle classical music to calm the nerves of people around him; Staples builds a picture to help people better sympathize and understand his frustration. Although Staples describes himself as a college graduate, a journalist, and a softy in the face of violence, he details that the overall public deems him a dangerous criminal.
In his essay “Black Men and Public Spaces,” Brent Staples explains that people often find him intimidating because he is tall and black. Staples shares his account of a number of personal encounters, arguing that in each situation, he was misinterpreted as being dangerous because of his daunting physical appearance. Staples asserts that as a result of this misinterpretation, he was continually mistreated. Staples begins his article by describing the events leading up to his life-changing realization that he has inherited “the ability to alter public space in ugly ways (183).” When he was twenty-two years old, Staples found himself one evening, walking behind a well-dressed white woman on a deserted street in a rather wealthy neighborhood.
The women’s racism caused her reaction of “running in earnest,” “worried glances” and her eventual getaway, exemplifying the prejudice of a black male. He further demonstrates his “ability to alter public space” when just crossing “in front of a car stopped at a traffic light.” He hears the “thunk” of the driver locking their car regardless of them being “black, white, male, or female.” Staples understands the world is dangerous and people have the right to fear those around them, however, he continues to endure discrimination. But I am the person making those judgements.
I was surprised, embarrassed, and dismayed all at once,” he writes to admit that he’s harmless. Staples effectively persuades his readers to believe that not all black men are harmful. He wants to make more people comfortable around him and less of a negative stereotype. By acting the opposite of a thug that many [white] people make up the conclusion to be, Staples changes his behavior in a way to protect himself because he’s percieved as a thug that could potentially made him a target and a danger to those around him and to himself. Staples concludes in his essay that thugs wouldn’t be “whistling a bright, upbeat from Vivaldi’s Four
Americans Stereotypes: Loosening stereotypes Americans are always scared when they see a black man and think about them trying to harm them. Actually, that isn’t always the case and isn’t the case a lot of the time. Brent Staples in his writing Black Men in Public Spaces shows some of the societies stereotype issues. Americans should stop stereotyping blacks, not purposely go around them at night, and he shouldn’t have to whistle to make people comfortable around him. Americans put stereotypes on different ethnicities.
