B_r_e_n_t_ _S_t_a_p_l_e_s_‚_ _“J_u_s_t_ _W_a_l_k_ _o_n_ _B_y_” _ My first victim was a woman—white‚ well dressed‚ probably in her early twenties. I came upon her late one evening on a deserted street in Hyde Park‚ a relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean‚ impoverished section of Chicago. As I swung onto the avenue behind her‚ there seemed to be a discreet‚ uninflammatory distance between us. Not so. She cast back a worried glance. To her‚ the youngish black man—a broad six feet two
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shaped his behavior. The author chose to use the response approach of ignoring the views and the defending actions of the people whom he met. He writes‚ “Over the years‚ I learned to smother the rage I felt at so often being taken for a criminal” (Staples 397). He even started making some attempts of calming down the people he considered were apt to be afraid of him. He kept distance with the people and moved carefully in order to avoid being mistakenly regarded as a criminal. His strategy was implementing
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apologetic attitude and extreme behavior modification that Brent Staples exercised for the simple purpose of alleviating the fears and suspicions aroused by the presence of a black man. Brent says he smothered the rage that surely would have turned to madness‚ he kept a wide distance from people on subways who appeared to be nervous especially during the wee hours‚ and even moreso if he had changed from professional attire into jeans. Brent‚ in his own words‚ allowed people to walk by so he didn’t
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Through Toni Morrison’s short story “Recitatif” and Brent Staples’ essay “Black Men and Public Spaces”‚ we see the similar topics of nonverbal communication and stereotypes. Through his use of a cowbell metaphor‚ and her use of handshake imagery Staples and Morrison explore the theme that nonverbal communication and stereotypes can affect how people act and are viewed in society. After living in New York for a few years‚ Staples learned to take precautions‚ so as not to seem threatening. He would
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narrative written by Judith Ortiz Cofer discusses some of the many experiences she has encountered throughout her life dealing with stereotypes and common misconceptions of Latin American women. To further engage her audience in the story‚ she provides detailed past experiences that have stood out to her the most. In order for the readers to fully understand those past encounters‚ some of which are cultural and common among Latinos‚ Cofer explains them in careful detail. For example‚ Cofer explains the concept
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Public Space‚” Brent Staples discusses the development of standard stereotypes that can not just affect the actions of the victim‚ but the suspect. Throughout the essay‚ Staples describes himself in a sequence of events‚ and proceeds to tell the readers how people around him react. Brent Staples was a tall black man and always faced the same reaction when walking the streets during his late night strolls. People that were walking late as well especially white women would avoid Staples either by crossing
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101-1035 30 October 2012 Just Walk on By In Brent Staples’ essay‚ “Just Walk on By” the author describes his experiences‚ feelings‚ and reactions towards the discrimination he has faced throughout his life as a black man. Staples describes several different personal experiences of when he felt that he had been judged or discriminated against by other people based on the color of his skin and how that contributed to his overall appearance. Staples has continuously been perceived as a danger or
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Brent Staples’ A Brother’s Murder A belief I feel very strongly about proposes that all problems faced by our society have solutions. If this belief is true‚ why do problems still face us today? The answer could be a result of either laziness by the people in our society in finding these solutions or just the fact that there are too many problems to solve. Maybe this belief I have is too far out of reach to be true. On the other hand‚ Brent Staples‚ a well-respected writer‚ seems to share this
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In Judith Ortiz Cofer’s short story “Volar‚” a girl who is a huge fan of comic books dreams of being a Superhero but realizes her reality. Whether a child or an adult‚ most of us have our dreams; however‚ not all wishes become true. The narrator‚ the girl‚ begins her story describing how much she loves comic books such as Legion of SuperHeroes and Supergirl so much that a pile of her books is high as she is. She smoothly continues with her repeated dream in which Cofer vividly conveys the image that
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Judith Ortiz Cofer: Understanding a Writer Judith Ortíz Cofer was born in Hormigueros‚ Puerto Rico in 1952. She was raised on the island and in Paterson‚ New Jersey‚ before her family finally settled in Augusta‚ Georgia. She received her B.A. in English from Augusta College in 1974‚ and her M.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University‚ and did graduate school at Oxford University in 1977 (Judith). Her collections of poetry include The Year of Our Revolution: New and Selected Stories and
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