The urban black male undergoes a tremendous amount of hardships. He is attacked by the reality he is faced with day by day, but it is up to him and him alone to overcome these difficulties. In "Our Time" written by John Edgar Wideman, he discusses the downfall of his brother Robby Wideman. Robby Wideman struggles with various hardships such as the urban stereotype, family, and drug addiction. all three of these struggles Robby encountered played a significant role in his demise and is the reason he is who he is today.
Every child imagines being someone special one day. They may aspire to be a doctor, lawyer, actress, or even a ballerina. These career choices and dreams derive from what and who they are exposed to at young age. Robby himself …show more content…
Growing up Robby had a village of people around him that sculpted him into the man he is today. In "Our Time" Robby reminisces about his first time shooting up drugs with two men named Squirrel and Bugs Johnson. Robby says "they was like my teachers. Bugs goes way back. He started with Uncle Carl. Been shooting up ever since" (458). Robby was heavily influenced by the people in his close knit circle. another famous proverb says "when in Rome, do as the Romans." and Robby did just that because of the people around him. although , his siblings were a positive example Robby didn 't recognize their success. Robby idolized those who were much older than him, those who were supposed to want better for him, but instead led him down a path of destruction. Robby states "Bugs different. He was a pal of Uncle Carl 's back in the fifties. Shot up together was back then. Now here he is with Squirrel and me, still doing this thing" (458). Robby followed behind the foot steps of probably generations of drug abuse within his family. Family, this village of people helping to raise Robby to do drugs anyway. That 's not love because if they really cared about him they would have encouraged him to focus on school and to be drug free so that he can live a better
Every child imagines being someone special one day. They may aspire to be a doctor, lawyer, actress, or even a ballerina. These career choices and dreams derive from what and who they are exposed to at young age. Robby himself …show more content…
Growing up Robby had a village of people around him that sculpted him into the man he is today. In "Our Time" Robby reminisces about his first time shooting up drugs with two men named Squirrel and Bugs Johnson. Robby says "they was like my teachers. Bugs goes way back. He started with Uncle Carl. Been shooting up ever since" (458). Robby was heavily influenced by the people in his close knit circle. another famous proverb says "when in Rome, do as the Romans." and Robby did just that because of the people around him. although , his siblings were a positive example Robby didn 't recognize their success. Robby idolized those who were much older than him, those who were supposed to want better for him, but instead led him down a path of destruction. Robby states "Bugs different. He was a pal of Uncle Carl 's back in the fifties. Shot up together was back then. Now here he is with Squirrel and me, still doing this thing" (458). Robby followed behind the foot steps of probably generations of drug abuse within his family. Family, this village of people helping to raise Robby to do drugs anyway. That 's not love because if they really cared about him they would have encouraged him to focus on school and to be drug free so that he can live a better