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'Recitatif': The Impact Of Racial Stereotypes

410 Words2 Pages

From beginning to end in Toni Morrison’s short story, “Recitatif”, and Brent Staples’ essay, “Black Men and Public Spaces”, both authors explore the idea of single stories and the impact of racial stereotypes on individuals. Through Staples’ use of crime-based diction and Morrison’s use of imagery, these authors show how preconceived notions that society communicates about racial differences can affect one’s thoughts and actions. In “Black Men and Public Spaces” Staples often portrays his frustration with being a victim of the racial stereotype that all black men are seen as dangerous. As he walked at night behind a woman in the street and she began to hurry away, he “...first began to know the unwieldy inheritance [he’d] come into… It was clear that she thought herself the quarry of a mugger, rapist, or worse”(Staples 1). …show more content…

He also uses “unwieldy”, which literally means cumbersome or difficult to carry, to describe his “inheritance” of this racial stereotype as a heavy burden on his life. Just by looking at him, the woman perceives him as a threat and she distances herself from him in fear of being harmed. This reaction to him increases his awareness that society perceives him as a threat because of the stereotypes that are associated with his race and gender. In Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif”, the main characters, Twyla and Roberta, first meet at an orphanage as young children and then encounter each other several more times throughout their lives. Through their encounters, an important aspect of their relationship is that one is black and one is white. Twyla doesn’t think much of their racial divide until their children's school was to be integrated. “Strife came to us that fall...Strife. Racial

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Brent Staples Black Men And Public Space Summary

373 Words | 2 Pages

In his article, “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples writes about his encounters with people during his nighttime walks in and around the city streets of Chicago and New York. He argues that, as a result of crimes committed by criminals of African American descent, people tend to quickly avoid him because they assume that he will likely mug them because of the color of his skin. Nevertheless, on the subject as to whether this article is an appropriate and good example of the reaction of others, it is quite obvious that this is a good example of the reaction of others, given how Brent Staples spent much of his time working in the city as a journalist, and that crime rates are high in inner city areas. However, despite the fact that this

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Compare And Contrast Twyla And Roberta In Recitatif

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Twila and Roberta are the two main characters in “Recitatif,” by Toni Morrison, and the author created them beautifully for the purpose for which she wanted to use them. In addition to Twila and Roberta, Maggie also plays a big part in the story, and though we are never directly introduced to her, Morrison tells us about her indirectly. Each of these three characters is unique and important to the story’s plot and purpose. “Recitatif” uses the characters Twyla, Roberta, and Maggie to teach us to see past physical differences.

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328 Words | 2 Pages

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'Black Men In Public Space'

1668 Words | 7 Pages

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1129 Words | 5 Pages

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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.

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576 Words | 3 Pages

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1103 Words | 5 Pages

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