How is the complication and paradox of these situations expressed by the last sentence about Staples?
The complication and paradox of these situation is expressed by Staples saying that by him whistling classical music in the streets at night, people would not think of him as a mugger. He also states that, everybody seems to sense that a mugger wouldn be warbling bright, sunny selections from Vivaldi Four Seasons.
What does Staples refer to as his unwieldy inheritance?
Why does Staples whistle melodies from classical composers?
(JWB) Staples cites the example of “melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers” to allude to music with which his audience is likely to be familiar. (LBJ) The audience of this letter is clergy, American citizens, and the world.
What examples does staples provide to illustrate?
Some examples that Staples provides to illustrate “the language of fear” is when people cross the street when they see him walking, how cab drivers, policeman, etc. treat them poorly, and how individuals lock their doors when he walks by their car.
How does Staples describe himself in just walk on by?
1. Staples describes himself as “indistinguishable from the muggers” in a public view, he is often being discriminated and seen as a rapist or a criminal, only because of his skin color.
What is the purpose of just walk on by by Brent Staples?
The purpose is to explain how african americans like Staples go through stereotypes when people have nothing to be afraid of. In the text he mentions how he is a journalist and how harmless really he is. “I grew up one of the good boys, had perhaps a half-dozen fistfights.
What does staples mean when he says he has the power to alter public space 2 )?
He is referring to the way that, as a black man, he is often perceived as a threat. Because of the biases many hold, consciously or not, against black men, his presence in a space can incite fear or defensiveness in those present.
What is Staples trying to accomplish with his first sentence?
Staples is trying to draw the reader in by alarming them. His opening sentence implies that something much more sinister is going on. The rest of the paragraph brings light to the irony in this sentence; he did not see her as a victim at all, but she felt fear that she could become one.
What is the tone of just walk on by?
Tone: Humorous. Through irony and sarcasm to personally connect with his audience.
Why has he forced himself to smother the rage he felt at so often being taken for a criminal paragraph 11?
Tales of being judged and being put in a figurative box. 7. Why has he forced himself “to smother the rage [he] felt at so often being taken for a criminal? (paragraph 11) Because then he would be living up to the image that is portrayed.
What does staples mean by unwieldy inheritance?
According to the context the “unwieldy inheritance” seems to be “the ability to alter public space in ugly ways”. (It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into–the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.
In what other ways can an individual alter public space?
Altering public space is changing how a person, place, or thing makes you feel. It can be negative but it also can be positive. Some positive ways altering public space can be a friendly smile walking into a room, beautiful new constructions, and planting trees to better the environment.
What does Staples subdued tone tell you about his character?
What does Staples’ subdued tone tell you about his character? He is more concerned with how the public thinks of him and wants to fit in. 5. Do you think we make false assumptions that people are up to no good if they are on the street late at night, even if they have a good reason for doing so?
Why does Staples walk the streets at night?
Staples walks the streets at night because he has trouble sleeping. He walks everywhere in an effort to tire himself out. 4. Staples suggests that in our society, men are supposed to be powerful and have the ability to intimidate.
What is the impact of the opening sentence my first victim?
The first sentence causes suspense and apprehension in the book. This creates a strong impact on the reader and makes him feel curious throughout the story that will follow from that sentence.
What does staples mean by his final sentence?
pm. 6. What does Staples mean by his final sentence: “it is my equivalent to the cowbell that hikers wear when they know they are in bear country”? Does this statement change the terms of the “hunter and hunted” he has established in the essay? What he means is that his whistling is like a cowbell.
What is the purpose of the opening paragraph?
The introductory paragraph, or opening paragraph, is the first paragraph of your essay. It introduces the main idea of your essay, captures the interest of your readers, and tells why your topic is important.
How does Staples attempt to make himself less threatening?
Staples attempts to make himself less threatening by moving with care, giving people more space, and whistling relaxing tunes while he walks places. He pays attention to how closely he is to people, makes it apparent that he is not following them, and is generally very cautious.
In what ways does Staples acknowledge that the victim’s response is not unwarranted?
➔Staples acknowledges that the victim’s response is not unwarranted because he sees that women are obviously the ones that are more likely to get harassed. But an explanation that he gives her is that she does not have the right to state her point of view on someone on the bases of ideas of standard.
When did Brent Staples write just walk on by?
1986
Why does Staples characterize the woman he encounters in paragraph 1 as a victim?
Staples characterize the woman he encounters in paragraph 1 as a victim due to the fact the as she glimpses around behind her on a deserted street, a figure of a “youngish black man – a broad six feet two inches with a bread and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pocketsof a bulky military jacket,” as Staple …
Who is Norman Podhoretz and why does Staples talk about him?
Staples mentions Norman Podhoretz as a promoter of making african americans as bad people. He can make the same point without mentioning Podhoretz but, including the standpoint of a racist leader makes his essay stronger. 2. Staples begins his essay with an anecdote.
What does staples mean by the power to alter public space What examples does he provide to explain this concept?
Answer Staples means that African American men are feared in public spaces and when around they “alter. public space”. He provides an example of a reporter getting mistaken for a murderer to explain this concept.
What are the usual connotations of the word survivor?
A survivor is someone who hasn’t died: the word is used often about people who have been through a horrible experience, like a plane crash. Cancer survivors and Holocaust survivors have one thing in common: they lived through horrible ordeals and are still with us.
What does he learn from his encounter with a white woman as recalled in paragraphs 1 and 2?
What does he learn from his encounter with a white woman as recalled in paragraphs 1 and 2? The man’s encounter with the white woman, made him realized the inheritance that he was in. Although the woman thought he was uncommon, the man himself was no different from her. The man’s looks did not make him different.
What is a survivor?
The definition of a survivor is a person who copes with a bad situation or affliction and who gets through, or a person who manages to live through a situation that often causes death.