Brent Staples Analysis

In today's society, stereotypes can be found almost anywhere- social media, tv, and in music. For example, the English teacher in most movies is usually a white woman; however, English teachers can range in both color and gender because there are no specific requirements that someone must be white and female to be an English teacher. According to the most recent population survey released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, only 42% of high school teachers are male, but the stereotype that surrounds the idea of only women being teachers tends to deter men from going into that particular field. Today's society is a society that labels things based off of stereotypes, and author, Brent Staples, brings the detrimental consequences of relying on stereotypes to the attention of his readers in his essay “Just Walk on By.” His use of descriptive diction and juxtaposition leaves his

Staples, less than 14 words into his essay, has already tied “victim” to a “woman-white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties;”thus, followed by his claim that to the woman “the youngish black man- a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket” appeared menacing gives his readers the impression that he is the perpetrator in this story. However, he goes on to say that he in fact just misunderstood because he “[suffers] from [bouts] of insomnia” and is “being perceived as dangerous” which “is a hazard in itself” all because people in society make hasty generalizations based off common stereotypes. The readers want to think of themselves as good people, but the reader can feel a sense of guilt because most people have judged a person just based on stereotypes at least once in their life. Staples' deliberate contrasts of harsher, unforgiving terms such as “young thugs,” “accomplice in tyranny,” and