How Does Evan Hunter Use Symbols In On The Sidewalk Bleeding

In Evan Hunter’s “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”, Andy, the main character, struggles with his identity and how he wants to be remembered when he dies. The author uses setting and symbolism to prove how dangerous joining a gang can be, and how it can affect one’s identity so strongly that it is not unheard of for one of them to be stabbed. The author purposely set the story in a aphotic alley at midnight in the rain to show how gruesome Andy’s death is. Hunter also uses the purple Royals jacket and the characters in the story to symbolize how being a Royal is changing Andy’s identity. The author uses setting in such a way so that readers can truly understand the darkness of Andy’s situation. Hunter writes, “he could hear the sound of automobile tires hushed on the muzzle of the rainswept streets, far away at the other end of the long

This quotation gives away a lot of the setting in only one sentence. From this, readers know that Andy is in an alley in the rain and that he his far away from the end of the alley, meaning that no one can hear him call for help, ability to speak or not. Alleys, generally, are thought of as dark, sketchy places one would not want to be in, especially at night, for fear of dangerous people. Furthermore, the fact that Andy is stabbed at night in an alley helps readers relate to Andy on a personal level, because they know that alleys can be dangerous and scary. Also, the fact that it is raining makes the whole scene a little more devastating and dreary. In another quotation that relates to the element of setting in this story, Hunter writes, “the man lurched away. Andy heard his footsteps, and then the sound of the man colliding with a garbage can, and some mild swearing, and the sound