What are the consequences of being judged based solely on the group you are a part of, rather than your identity? Evan Hunter’s short story “On The Sidewalk Bleeding” answers this question. This narrative starts with Andy, a 16-year-old boy who is part of a gang called the ‘Royals,’ and has been stabbed in an alleyway by another gang named the ‘Guardians.’ Throughout this text, Andy tries countless times to get help from multiple people who encounter him, but ultimately, none help him. At the end of the narrative, Andy is on the verge of death, realizing that most people choose not to help because he is wearing a purple jacket that shows people he is in a gang. This short story explores the devastating impact of society judging people based …show more content…
Even though Angela asks Freddie to leave, Freddie seemingly wants to help: “No. Wait a minute.’ He knelt down beside Andy. ‘You cut?’” (Hunters, p. 4). From this quote, we can see that Freddie did want to save Andy, but after further inspection, Freddie reads off his jacket, realizing Andy is a ‘Royal.’ His realization of Andy being a part of a gang causes Freddie to become hesitant about helping Andy, ultimately deciding not to save him running away with Angela: “He looked at Andy again, and then mumbled, ‘I'm sorry.’ He took Angela's arm and together they ran towards the neon splash at the other end of the alley” (Hunter The only reason that Freddie decided not to assist Andy was the fact that Andy was wearing a jacket that showed he was in a gang, fearing that he would be involved with the ‘Guardians’: “He's a Royal. We help him, and the Guardians will be down on our necks. I don't want to get mixed up in this, Angela.” (Hunter, p. 5). If Andy had not worn the purple jacket, Freddie probably would have saved him since he was visibly worried about him before realizing he was part of a