On the sidewalk bleeding

Don’t judge a book by its cover. We all grow up listening and trying to live day in and day out following the metaphorical phrase. For most of us, this idiom means little however; Evan Hunter uses a character from On the Sidewalk Bleeding to influence the reader of its importance

Andy is a young gang member growing up in the rough neighborhood of The Bronx. As a result, the attraction of membership leads Andy to join The Royals, a gang represented by a bright purple jacket. We are first made aware of Andy just after a rival gang member has fatally stabbed him. It is made clear to us that Andy is no stranger towards violence and gang culture even at his young age. He thought to himself “That was a fierce rumble, they got me good that time” indicating that fighting is a common occurrence for him that he is still unaware of how serious the stab wound is.

As Andy lays helpless down a dark alleyway, we are made aware of three groups of public denying Andy help, a direct result of this appearance and his relationship with the gang culture. Most notably, one young couple is felt inclined to leave Andy helpless. The couple’s first reaction in finding Andy was “He’s a Royal” demonstrating the immediate prejudice. This is again reinforced when they leave him to die due to his gang connections, suggesting that because of this, he doesn’t deserve to get help. “We help him and the Guardians will be down our necks” It is also made clear that the Guardians are another rival gang. This is confirmed when Andy comments about these gangs being “two of the biggest” As the couple flee the scene, Andy thinks to himself, “Why are they afraid of the Guardians? I’ve never turkeyed out of a rumble with the Guardians” The emphasizing how Andy is no stranger to violence.

However, Hunter positions the reader to understand what is beneath the purple jacket. Hunter demonstrates how Andy is simply a young and impulsive boy therefore is inclined to make poor decisions. In the first