Dick Gregory Personal Response

1) Personal Response When I read the excerpts from Dick Gregory's book, nigger, I was surprised at some parts of the text. It was surprising when Gregory went against the movie manager when the manager didn't allow him to sit downstairs.”’I’m sorry, Mister Gregory, but you know you can't sit in the orchestra.’’Why not?’’Because colored seating is in the balcony.’My St.Louis dream died that night….’If you want me in the balcony, you'll have to put me there.’”(Gregory 83). I was also surprising to read about the black doctor being mean to Gregory. The doctor faces the problem of racism, but he still is mean toward other people who face the same problem. In any case, I enjoyed Dick Gregory's optimism while he talked about his rough times
Dick Gregory's writing style was also enjoyable and intriguing because it makes it seem like he is talking directly to the reader. Some of the lines from nigger inspired me. It was inspiring to read about his college achievements, even though the odds were stacked against him. His achievements are, “Captain of the cross-country team, captain of the track team, financial grant, busboy in the president’s house, fastest half-miler in the schools history, drummer in the orchestra and the marching band, big actor in the variety show, and Outstanding Athlete of 1953.”(Gregory 79). He achieved all these goals even though he was at a disadvantage compared to white people. But, I felt sad when Gregory’s mother died and the time when the teacher talked about his father. His mom was one of the most important figures in his life, and it hurt him when she died. It was sad when the teacher told the entire class that Gregory didn't have a father. The excerpts also taught me more about the lives of black people during the 1900’s. The excerpt “Shame,” helped me learn more about the hardships of black people's lives. It was depressing to read about the hard times of Dick Gregory
In my opinion, Gregory planned out when the reader should have felt certain emotions. He made times of success like his many track records happy. The rough times like when his mother died sad. But, I believe he wrote these memoirs to teach the reader about the challenges of a black man during the 20th century. He wanted to present his life so the reader can clearly see and understand the racism. Personally, I think that Gregory wants the reader to feel sympathy and empathy. I don't necessarily think he is asking for them, but I think he wants to try to incite the feelings. Gregory wants to show that even though he was at a disadvantage, he could still achieve many things like going to college. He showed that even people with many obstacles can accomplish goals. I think that Dick Gregory writes for both a black and a white audience. He wanted sympathy from the white people and empathy from black people who went through similar