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Growing Up In Jails By Brent Staples

695 Words3 Pages

Forced into Submission Brent Staples is living his life in constant worry and fear. Due to his tall and threatening appearance, people are often uncomfortable around him. And even though he means no harm, he leaves others terror-stricken. He could easily startle someone into attack mode. Resulting in him being forced into an obedient, unassertive lifestyle. Staples feels fearful because of the way others perceive him. He is certain people around him are scared of him, especially in the night. He explains how a woman was so uncomfortable with him being behind her, she glanced back at him and walked quicker. He was embarrassed, surprised, and terrified. As he walks down the shadowy streets of Chicago, people start "hammering down the door …show more content…

While growing up in his hometown Chester, Pennsylvania, he was never noticed like how he is now in Chicago. His appearance was the norm among other murderers and gang warfare. Being in a new setting, Staples realizes how much he stands out. It lessens his sense of belonging and dehumanizes him. He should not have to change the way he acts to gain the acceptance of others. This man shows great patience and forgiveness for the society he lives in. The fact Mr. Staples went the extra mile to begin to take precautions just to try and look unthreatening is already a burden. He couldn’t even be in a jewelry store without being seen as dangerous, and scared away by a dog. Brent tells how he watched many powerless men go down the wrong path in the streets, and even seen some of his friends die too young. So, he chose to "remain a shadow—timid, but a survivor" (2) showing how unsafe he feels. In his mind it's either be submissive and docile, or be possibly killed. While the American dream is about living well, having a family, and owning a home with a fence out front, Staples doesn’t have the confidence nor the hospitality to achieve these goals. He is forced into

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That it is reality and not just a concept based off of racism. Within these anecdotes Staples uses hyperbole to create suspense and kind of overstate the real issue at hand in order to show how terrible his position truly is. Such as in the opening sentence, “My first victim was a woman - white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties…(542)”. The woman is not an actual “victim” to any physical harm. Nothing happened to her except she feared for possibly her life.

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Staples uses imagery, so the reader can picture it when reading his work, and to help create a sort of dark and lonely tone. The character uses several personal experiences which use a large amount of imagery. This is better shown when staples writes “ As a softy who is scarcely able to take a knife to a raw chicken- let alone hold it to a person’s throat……”(542), The character feels as though he is being judged for being a certain color when really he is afraid himself of getting hurt; he is also very humble and shy because he is afraid to even harm something that isn’t alive. When being treated as guilty and wrong, shame will follow; the character feels shameful that the lady is afraid of him when he has done nothing wrong.

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Staples claims that at the time, “there seemed to be a discreet, uninflammatory distance” between the two of them. Staples quickly became aware that she did not feel the same way; she repeatedly looked back at Staples with a worried glance. Staples suggests that in her opinion, the tall, black man walking behind her was too close for comfort. Staples claims that the woman picked up her pace and that “within seconds she

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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.

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By using such a unique story with eye-catching phrases as the introduction of his article, Staples evokes the emotion of fear and unsettledness that soon proceeds to a feeling of relief, yet in a way that 's melancholic.

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