Black Men and Public Space
Dylan Cruz English12/23/11 Black Men and Public Space
In ³Black Men and Public Space´, Brent Staples writes about how he was treateddifferently at various times due to being African ± American. Staples uses exposition to helpshow the various times where people acted differently when they saw him all due to his race.From confrontations on the street to being confused for a robber as he was rushing to hand in anarticle for a magazine, it is clear that he is treated unfairly. Staples uses cause and effect to showhow he does things differently now, hoping that people may see him in another light. He alsocompares and contrasts how some situations would be different if he were of a different race. Histone and diction throughout the work is also interesting, as he does not seem angry about how heis being treated.Staples lists many examples throughout ³Black Men and Public Space´ where he has been treated differently because of his race. When Brent had some down time, he decided to gointo a jewelry store. ³The proprietor excused herself and returned with an enormous redDoberman pinscher straining at the end of a leash.´ This is an excellent example of being treateddifferently. If any other person had gone in there the owner would not have reacted in the shedid. Another example he uses is when he first begins to notice that people see him differently. Hewas in college on walking on the streets late at night when he sees a woman walking in theopposite direction as he. ³It was clear that she thought herself the quarry of a mugger, a rapist, or worse.´ These examples Staples brings forward clearly show that he is treated unfairly just because of his skin color.
Staples also uses other rhetorical strategies throughout his work, including cause andeffect and as well as comparing and contrasting. After seeing all the situations in which he isunfairly judged, he begins to do things hoping people will see past his skin color. He writes, ³Inow take precautions to make myself
In ³Black Men and Public Space´, Brent Staples writes about how he was treateddifferently at various times due to being African ± American. Staples uses exposition to helpshow the various times where people acted differently when they saw him all due to his race.From confrontations on the street to being confused for a robber as he was rushing to hand in anarticle for a magazine, it is clear that he is treated unfairly. Staples uses cause and effect to showhow he does things differently now, hoping that people may see him in another light. He alsocompares and contrasts how some situations would be different if he were of a different race. Histone and diction throughout the work is also interesting, as he does not seem angry about how heis being treated.Staples lists many examples throughout ³Black Men and Public Space´ where he has been treated differently because of his race. When Brent had some down time, he decided to gointo a jewelry store. ³The proprietor excused herself and returned with an enormous redDoberman pinscher straining at the end of a leash.´ This is an excellent example of being treateddifferently. If any other person had gone in there the owner would not have reacted in the shedid. Another example he uses is when he first begins to notice that people see him differently. Hewas in college on walking on the streets late at night when he sees a woman walking in theopposite direction as he. ³It was clear that she thought herself the quarry of a mugger, a rapist, or worse.´ These examples Staples brings forward clearly show that he is treated unfairly just because of his skin color.
Staples also uses other rhetorical strategies throughout his work, including cause andeffect and as well as comparing and contrasting. After seeing all the situations in which he isunfairly judged, he begins to do things hoping people will see past his skin color. He writes, ³Inow take precautions to make myself