Just Walk on by
Amanda DeLong
Professor Badenhopp
ENG091-015
9/17/2012 Summary In “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space,” Brent Staples explains how a black man’s appearance after dark can change a person’s actions. Staples’ comes to realize due to his race, clothes, and hair some people become frightened by him. Since others perceive him as dangerous he realized this could easily place himself in danger also. Eventually, he became accustomed to the precautions a lot of onlookers took. Crowded city street walkers did not have the same reaction toward him as small town walkers did. He noticed more commonly women were the ones who felt unsafe. He agrees that young black men are common aggressors, but with that being true he still did not feel any better. Staples’ explains how he was raised in a town where he witnessed a lot of violence which made him decide not to follow the same lifestyle. Even though he was not a man of viciousness, he describes a couple times he was mistakenly portrayed as such. In time he learned to control his emotions towards being mistaken as a perpetrator. He now has ways to keep other pedestrians more comfortable while sharing sidewalks with him.
Amanda DeLong
Professor Badenhopp
ENG091-015
9/17/2012 Summary In “Snoopers at Work,” Bill Bryson explains how businesses and employers are legally allowed to invade your personal privacy. The author describes the three main reasons why both employers and employees keep a good eye on you while shopping or working. Greed of money, suspicious workers, and because the technology exists are main reasons you are constantly being watched. Bryson explained the precautions employers must take while using surveillance of their workers offices. This could be illegal in some states. Also, companies will make their own employees spy on fellow workers. Bryson gives an example of how a man was terminated from his place of employment because he gave another employee information on
Professor Badenhopp
ENG091-015
9/17/2012 Summary In “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space,” Brent Staples explains how a black man’s appearance after dark can change a person’s actions. Staples’ comes to realize due to his race, clothes, and hair some people become frightened by him. Since others perceive him as dangerous he realized this could easily place himself in danger also. Eventually, he became accustomed to the precautions a lot of onlookers took. Crowded city street walkers did not have the same reaction toward him as small town walkers did. He noticed more commonly women were the ones who felt unsafe. He agrees that young black men are common aggressors, but with that being true he still did not feel any better. Staples’ explains how he was raised in a town where he witnessed a lot of violence which made him decide not to follow the same lifestyle. Even though he was not a man of viciousness, he describes a couple times he was mistakenly portrayed as such. In time he learned to control his emotions towards being mistaken as a perpetrator. He now has ways to keep other pedestrians more comfortable while sharing sidewalks with him.
Amanda DeLong
Professor Badenhopp
ENG091-015
9/17/2012 Summary In “Snoopers at Work,” Bill Bryson explains how businesses and employers are legally allowed to invade your personal privacy. The author describes the three main reasons why both employers and employees keep a good eye on you while shopping or working. Greed of money, suspicious workers, and because the technology exists are main reasons you are constantly being watched. Bryson explained the precautions employers must take while using surveillance of their workers offices. This could be illegal in some states. Also, companies will make their own employees spy on fellow workers. Bryson gives an example of how a man was terminated from his place of employment because he gave another employee information on
Cited: Bryson, Bill. “Snoopers at Work.” Seeing the Pattern: Readings for Successful Writing. Ed. Kathleen T. McWhorter. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. 193-195. Print.