Rhetorical Analysis Of Just Walk On By
Brent Staples published “Just Walk on By” in Ms.Magazine during the racially tense time of the 80’s . In this essay, he talks about racial tension from his perspective as a young black male facing discrimination during these times. Brent criticizes our society for how common this form of discrimination is and addresses those who perpetuate stereotypes. He goes on to explain the root cause of people abusing intimidation of others, describing it as a learned behavior taught from infancy. Brent continues by describing his experience with seeing those around him pay the consequences for discrimination with their lives . Brent’s ultimate goal is to inform his primarily white female audience that the consequence of racial profiling are innumerable
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His introductory paragraph give us a personal narrative about when a white women in Chicago who, mistaking him for a criminal, “picked up her pace and was soon running in earnest”( Paragraph 1). Readers can then begin to trust Staples, as they know that he has personal--and vividly described--experience with racism. Another method he uses in order to gain the trust of his audience is to acknowledge their perspective of this argument. Brent starts by showing he understands why women discriminate, saying “Women are particularly vulnerable to street violence”(Paragraph 6). Staples does this in order to show the reader that he can understand the motive behind their actions which builds trust to his audience. He then states that young black males are “drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators”(Paragraph 6) in show that they’re the ones being alienated, stating “ these truths are no solace against the kind of alienation that comes of being ever the suspect”(Paragraph 6). Staples says this to show that even if women are justified in their actions, what they’re doing is still has consequences. Brent wrote his paragraphs like this in order to first acknowledge his audience, so that accusation of his audience is taken more seriously rather than as a anger driven unfactual
His introductory paragraph give us a personal narrative about when a white women in Chicago who, mistaking him for a criminal, “picked up her pace and was soon running in earnest”( Paragraph 1). Readers can then begin to trust Staples, as they know that he has personal--and vividly described--experience with racism. Another method he uses in order to gain the trust of his audience is to acknowledge their perspective of this argument. Brent starts by showing he understands why women discriminate, saying “Women are particularly vulnerable to street violence”(Paragraph 6). Staples does this in order to show the reader that he can understand the motive behind their actions which builds trust to his audience. He then states that young black males are “drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators”(Paragraph 6) in show that they’re the ones being alienated, stating “ these truths are no solace against the kind of alienation that comes of being ever the suspect”(Paragraph 6). Staples says this to show that even if women are justified in their actions, what they’re doing is still has consequences. Brent wrote his paragraphs like this in order to first acknowledge his audience, so that accusation of his audience is taken more seriously rather than as a anger driven unfactual