Of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self By Danielle Evans

The Short Stories of Danielle Evans and Contemporary Adolescence
Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans, is a collection of stories which focuses on African American or mixed young adults. The characters in each short story experience difficult situations, racism, sexuality, or coming of age in a modern world. Particularly, “Virgins” explores the life of adolescents who experience adult-like challenges. However, they are only fifteen and thus ultimately unequipped to handle such feats. In the short story “Virgins” Erica encounters peer pressure and sexual experiences. The subjects of peer pressure and sexual experience is explored through the theme, characters, plot, and tone. The element of character explores the issue of peer pressure. When first introduced to Jasmine and Erica in the story, the reader gets a sense of their dynamic. Jasmine is usually the one leading Erica to into certain activities. For example, Jasmine plans their night out by saying, “Next weekend we’re going to the city. We’re gonna find some real niggas who know how to treat us” (Evans 13). Jasmine is basically the leader who runs the friendship and what they do. She does not ask Erica if she wants to go, but is instead telling her. Jasmine is essentially peer pressuring her friend and

Erica shares her sexual experiences within the story. For example, she narrates, “My first kiss was with a boy who’d said he’d walk me home and a block later was licking my mouth. The first time a guy had ever touched me―like touched me there―I was eleven and he was sixteen and a lifeguard at the city pool” (Evans 5). This reveals to a reader the background of the main character. She is open about her past sexual encounters which left an impact on her. The article written by Marie-Aude Boislard, Daphne van de Bongardt, and Martin Blais acknowledges the impact that sex and sexuality has on young people. It