Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples Literary Devices
Literary Devices and How They Affect the Reader
“Black Men and Public Space” is an essay written by Brent Staples in which he describes his struggles in the public as a black male. Throughout this work, he uses many literary devices to make the reader sympathize with his experiences. For some, they may empathize and feel themselves in his shoes.
In “Black Men and Public Space”, Staples is very descriptive and remains on subject with the issue at hand throughout the essay. Starting off with the title, he immediately addresses the conflict, black men and public space. The title is intimidating but also draws curiosity from readers. This is because race issues and social issues in general are considered taboo and make some people uncomfortable
…show more content…
He introduces his emotions by using diction when he explained how he felt about the woman running away from him. He said he felt “surprised, embarrassed, and dismayed all at once.” (Staples 1) When describing her he used alliteration. She “was a woman-white, well dressed…” (Staples 1) This makes the reader get the impression that she is proper and not from around Hyde Park, the area he was describing. When he wrote about Hyde Park, he used imagery which helps the reader imagine exactly what the scene looked like. How he said it was “[an] evening on a deserted street [at the park].” (Staples 1) When he described SoHo, he helped the readers understand the feel of the area by personifying the “tightly spaced buildings” (Staples 2), painting a picture that they shut out the sky. By placing the setting, he helps the reader place themselves at the spot, so they can truly experience and feel the event. However, that was not his only uncomfortable “encounter” with a frightened woman. Staples sets the scene, he is waiting for an interview and to pass the time, stops into a jewelry shop. The employee, without a question, goes and retrieves an attack dog. Ironically, he says that she looks frightened as her eyes were bulging out of her head. Of course that is an hyperbole. He says that they are nearly coming out to emphasize how terrified she was. He later explains he excuses himself and
Black Men In Public Places Summary
248 Words | 1 PagesIn the article, “Black Men in Public Places,” Brent Staples first grabs the reader by telling them about his first victim. This, “victim,” was not harmed by Staples at all, he only walked passed her at night, which made her incredibly uncomfortable and she was not the only person that had felt this way. Staples describes how people would lock their car doors when he would walk by, just because of his appearance, to them he looked the same as a mugger or rapist. Staples moved to New York, and faced the same racial profiling he did back in his hometown. Staples describes himself as shy and timid, while the people where he grew up were gang affiliated and were dying at young ages.
Essay On Richard Wright's Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man
702 Words | 3 PagesAlthough both Richard Wright’s “Black Boy” and James Weldon Johnson’s “Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” tell the tale of a black or not so black man facing the turmoil of segregation. There is a very distinct difference in both tales. Most notably, both men have very different living conditions and take contrasting approaches towards life. James Weldon Johnson’s “Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” takes a very different approach on the entirety of the white or black, segregation issue that so many books have done well. Instead of telling the tale of a struggling black male, fighting to keep a job, moving from home to home as in Richard Wright’s “Black Boy”, but instead tells the side of a “white man”.
Stereotypes By Brent Staples
193 Words | 1 PagesThe main idea of this entry is about the stereotypes that come along with racism. Also, Brent Staples wants his readers to realize how much colored people sacrifice from their normality in order to fit in with society, in hopes of not being attacked or offended. The author proves this in his entry by mentioning ‘innocent’ behaviors, such as singing Beethoven, that he did in public in order to relief those surrounding him from danger. Moreover, the author compared hikers to the country’s bears in order to provide readers with a valid connection between black and colored people. In addition to that, Brent Staples uses flashback as one of his techniques when sharing with us his encounters with white people, this gives readers an idea of how
Walk On By Brent Staples
1219 Words | 5 PagesThe Power Behind “Just Walk on By” In Brent Staples article “Just Walk on By”, Staples shares his thoughts on the way marginalized groups interact. He uses his own experiences as a young African American man to shed light on how people can have implied biases that affect the way they treat other people. Staples does this to demonstrate how society develops preconceived notions in the minds of individuals about marginalized groups, primarily African American men, which are often a flawed representation of the people within these groups. The rhetoric he uses is key to developing an understanding persona and an emotional appeal that exposes the implied biases of people without alienating or offending the audience, to whom-- among others-- he attributes these biases.
Just Walk On By Ethos Pathos Logos
694 Words | 3 PagesAs a result of this fear they have been opressed and uneducated for far too long. Through the usage of rhetorical devices, Freedom Writers and Just Walk On By: Black Men and Public Space are connected through their themes of racial prejudice, struggle, and stigma, and adress the issues opressed racial minorities have to put up with. The education system works against the poor, as well as minorities. It a system which is meant to keep the lower-class from succeeding, as seen in Freedom Writers.
Stereotypes In Brent Staples's 'Just Walk On By'
1129 Words | 5 PagesStereotypes have the power to label someone and rob them of all their hard work or strike fear into others. One such stereotype is that of black men being more dangerous;yet, one black writer voices his opinion on such a stereotype. In the essay “Just Walk On By” by Brent Staples, Staples describes his experience of being a large black man and how it affects the people around him. From people locking their doors to pedestrians crossing the street to avoid a confrontation, people seem to be afraid of Staples just from a glance. Yet Staples does nothing to cause this fear, rather his stereotype is to blame.
Rhetorical Devices In 'Just Walk On By' By Brent Staples
1013 Words | 5 PagesStaples 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.
Analysis Of Just Walk On By Brent Staples
934 Words | 4 PagesHe conveys this through his powerful use of diction, even in the first sentence he says “My first victim was a woman-white” (Staples 1). The word victim gives a very dark and scary tone as if something horrible is bound to happen, but as the reader reads along the whole scenario is just the narrator walking through a park at night and the white woman feels threatened and progressively runs away from the man. The narrator is a college student. The main message is that people are still so quick to judge and feel like they are in danger when they are around african american people they’ll in this case run away. It's also a proven statistic by Havard University states that women are in fact scared of men.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Just Walk On By, By Brent Staples
1244 Words | 5 PagesBy 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.
Summary Of Just Walk On By Black Men And Public Space
1166 Words | 5 PagesJust Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space by Brent Staples discusses the relevant issues of racial bias and how prejudice against people of color has embedded minds, as it demonstrates the importance of being aware of how we conceive others. Staples uses a contrasting element of race by introducing a white female and a black male. He uses his experiences and other people of colour to display the struggles of racism they face everyday. Staples reveals how people are prejudice against appearance, despite the importance of individuality of people and being impartial regardless of someone 's skin or looks. The story begins with Staples describing his first experience frightening a white women due to the colour of his skin.
Black Men And Public Space Rhetorical Analysis
621 Words | 3 Pages“Black Men and Public Spaces” Diagnostic Essay Brent Staples in “Black Men and Public Spaces,” illustrates the inescapable prejudices and stereotyping that African-American men face in America. He does this by relating to his audience through his personal experiences with stereotyping, and sharing his malcontent on how these events have made him alter his way of living. From “victimizing” woman, watching people lock themselves away, and having to whistle classical music to calm the nerves of people around him; Staples builds a picture to help people better sympathize and understand his frustration. Although Staples describes himself as a college graduate, a journalist, and a softy in the face of violence, he details that the overall public deems him a dangerous criminal.
Summary Of Just Walk On By: Black Men In Public Space
533 Words | 3 PagesBecause Staples is black, the woman thought he was threatening and chose to avoid him. Michael Wines and Frances Robles, in the article “Key Factor in Police Shootings: ‘Reasonable Fear’” gives reasoning that police sometimes will use deadly force when put under life or death situations. Wines and Robles statement referring to an officer that shot an unarmed black man, “If an officer believes he or someone else is in imminent danger of grievous injury or death, he is allowed to shoot first and ask questions later,” is morally challenging because it is not right that a police officer should be able to use guns on a potentially unarmed and non-dangerous person because of the stereotype that black men are a lit stick of dynamite waiting to go off. Despite untrue thoughts about individuals, people still make fearful judgments based on profiling and
Summary Of Just Walk On By A Black Man Ponders His Power To Alter Public Space
840 Words | 4 PagesIn his essay, “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space”, Brent Staples uses the rhetorical strategies of anecdote and diction in order to convey his message that due to racial discrimination black people (mainly men) have to change the way they naturally conduct themselves in public for they run the risk of something terrible happening to them. Staples uses anecdotes to bring in the personal side of the message to the audience. Staples creates a persona of innocence and almost alienation in his writing. Anecdotes such as his both instances in which he accidently scared women on walks and the time in which he and another reporter were mistaken for murder suspects or robbers are used to show real life proof of his message.
Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples Summary
841 Words | 4 PagesIn his essay “Black Men and Public Spaces,” Brent Staples explains that people often find him intimidating because he is tall and black. Staples shares his account of a number of personal encounters, arguing that in each situation, he was misinterpreted as being dangerous because of his daunting physical appearance. Staples asserts that as a result of this misinterpretation, he was continually mistreated. Staples begins his article by describing the events leading up to his life-changing realization that he has inherited “the ability to alter public space in ugly ways (183).” When he was twenty-two years old, Staples found himself one evening, walking behind a well-dressed white woman on a deserted street in a rather wealthy neighborhood.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Just Walk On By
1164 Words | 5 PagesHis sympathetic persona along with his analogies actively connect the reader to his story, while the strong diction and depressing tone make a strong emotional impact. Unlike most essays, the anti discrimination message can be applied to multiple minority groups and other social issues. As a whole, Brent Staples essay succeeds on all levels as it makes an impactful argument describing how society's view on African Americans as being dangerous violent criminals is truly
More about Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples Literary Devices
Black Men In Public Places Summary
248 Words | 1 PagesEssay On Richard Wright's Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man
702 Words | 3 PagesStereotypes By Brent Staples
193 Words | 1 PagesWalk On By Brent Staples
1219 Words | 5 PagesJust Walk On By Ethos Pathos Logos
694 Words | 3 PagesStereotypes In Brent Staples's 'Just Walk On By'
1129 Words | 5 PagesRhetorical Devices In 'Just Walk On By' By Brent Staples
1013 Words | 5 PagesAnalysis Of Just Walk On By Brent Staples
934 Words | 4 PagesRhetorical Analysis Of Just Walk On By, By Brent Staples
1244 Words | 5 PagesSummary Of Just Walk On By Black Men And Public Space
1166 Words | 5 PagesBlack Men And Public Space Rhetorical Analysis
621 Words | 3 PagesSummary Of Just Walk On By: Black Men In Public Space
533 Words | 3 PagesSummary Of Just Walk On By A Black Man Ponders His Power To Alter Public Space
840 Words | 4 PagesBlack Men And Public Space By Brent Staples Summary
841 Words | 4 PagesRhetorical Analysis Of Just Walk On By
1164 Words | 5 Pages