Crimson Shadow Essay
Delores M Skattum
Professor Jennifer Ambrose
English 202
13 February 2013
The Message Behind a Certain Short Story Are you at peace with yourself and the wrong-doings in your life? In the story Crimson Shadow, by Walter Mosley, a hardened ex-inmate, Socrates, takes in a young boy, Darryl, running from his terrible actions and tries to teach him a lesson. The author uses this scenario to in-turn teach the reader that you have to admit when you are wrong and to right those wrongs. Admitting to your wrong doings is the first step to making them right. "If you learn you wrong then maybe you get to be a man [sic]" (Walter Mosley 22). Socrates says this to Darryl when he is trying to get him to see that he was wrong for having killed a boy. If you don 't realize you 're wrong then you can 't even begin to make it right. Part of being a real man/woman, in my eyes, is trying your hardest to right the wrongs in your life. If you are able to see when you 're wrong and are able to admit to it, then you can start to learn from it. "An ' if that 's the truth, an if you could say it, then maybe you 'll learn sumpin ' [sic]" (Mosley 22). This is what Socrates said to Darryl after he admitted to killing a boy and Darryl was trying to get him to admit that he was wrong. Once you are able to admit to your mistakes and learn from them and not continue to make the same mistakes, only then can you move on and give yourself a sort of peace of mind. "Maybe you 'll laugh in the morning sometimes again [sic]" (Mosley 22). Socrates uses this statement to get him to see that he can move on with his life somewhat if he can truly see that he 's wrong and is able to admit to it. All in all, Walter Mosley did a great job with his characters and bringing this message out in his story. Socrates teaching this boy to admit and learn that he was wrong and maybe being able to get some peace from it, is a great lesson for all to learn whether you are a murderer or just an ordinary person
Professor Jennifer Ambrose
English 202
13 February 2013
The Message Behind a Certain Short Story Are you at peace with yourself and the wrong-doings in your life? In the story Crimson Shadow, by Walter Mosley, a hardened ex-inmate, Socrates, takes in a young boy, Darryl, running from his terrible actions and tries to teach him a lesson. The author uses this scenario to in-turn teach the reader that you have to admit when you are wrong and to right those wrongs. Admitting to your wrong doings is the first step to making them right. "If you learn you wrong then maybe you get to be a man [sic]" (Walter Mosley 22). Socrates says this to Darryl when he is trying to get him to see that he was wrong for having killed a boy. If you don 't realize you 're wrong then you can 't even begin to make it right. Part of being a real man/woman, in my eyes, is trying your hardest to right the wrongs in your life. If you are able to see when you 're wrong and are able to admit to it, then you can start to learn from it. "An ' if that 's the truth, an if you could say it, then maybe you 'll learn sumpin ' [sic]" (Mosley 22). This is what Socrates said to Darryl after he admitted to killing a boy and Darryl was trying to get him to admit that he was wrong. Once you are able to admit to your mistakes and learn from them and not continue to make the same mistakes, only then can you move on and give yourself a sort of peace of mind. "Maybe you 'll laugh in the morning sometimes again [sic]" (Mosley 22). Socrates uses this statement to get him to see that he can move on with his life somewhat if he can truly see that he 's wrong and is able to admit to it. All in all, Walter Mosley did a great job with his characters and bringing this message out in his story. Socrates teaching this boy to admit and learn that he was wrong and maybe being able to get some peace from it, is a great lesson for all to learn whether you are a murderer or just an ordinary person
Cited: Mosley, Walter Crimson Shadow. Print