In comparison of Baldwin and Staples, one can see that the type of racism they experience, their age and maturity, and their response to racism differ entirely by noting the different time eras of racism that each encounters.
James Baldwin 's and Brent Staples ' situations differ in the types of racism they encountered with conjunction to the time period. On one hand, Baldwin experienced the Jim Crow Era. Jim Crow Laws lasted for about a century; they were laws that kept whites and blacks separate by excluding blacks from using everyday facilities. The late nineteenth to mid twentieth centuries was a crucial time for the issue. Baldwin, raised in Harlem, moved to New Jersey, where Jim Crow Laws were practiced. "In the beginning, to make matters worse, I simply did not know what was happening." But soon enough, Baldwin would learn that the self-service restaurant he had been attending did not serve "negroes." He was only to figure this out because someone had told him on his fourth …show more content…
Baldwin responds with violence and anger, especially towards a waitress at a fancy restaurant. Bitter from is experiences, Baldwin exploded when a waitress told him, once again, that "We don 't serve negroes here." The rage inside Baldwin came out; he had to hurt her. Realizing he would not be able to get his hands around her neck, he throws a mug half full of water directly at her (59). In Baldwin 's angry aroma towards racism, he responded violently. Staples ' response was to avoid these situations altogether. He used many tactics: patiently waiting for a lobby to clear before reentering and whistling classical music, to name a couple (397). Staples ' response to negative situations was that he tried to establish an objective to avoid the situation; he took precaution when just walking or standing on a subway platform. Baldwin 's violent response definitely differs from the avoidance by
James Baldwin 's and Brent Staples ' situations differ in the types of racism they encountered with conjunction to the time period. On one hand, Baldwin experienced the Jim Crow Era. Jim Crow Laws lasted for about a century; they were laws that kept whites and blacks separate by excluding blacks from using everyday facilities. The late nineteenth to mid twentieth centuries was a crucial time for the issue. Baldwin, raised in Harlem, moved to New Jersey, where Jim Crow Laws were practiced. "In the beginning, to make matters worse, I simply did not know what was happening." But soon enough, Baldwin would learn that the self-service restaurant he had been attending did not serve "negroes." He was only to figure this out because someone had told him on his fourth …show more content…
Baldwin responds with violence and anger, especially towards a waitress at a fancy restaurant. Bitter from is experiences, Baldwin exploded when a waitress told him, once again, that "We don 't serve negroes here." The rage inside Baldwin came out; he had to hurt her. Realizing he would not be able to get his hands around her neck, he throws a mug half full of water directly at her (59). In Baldwin 's angry aroma towards racism, he responded violently. Staples ' response was to avoid these situations altogether. He used many tactics: patiently waiting for a lobby to clear before reentering and whistling classical music, to name a couple (397). Staples ' response to negative situations was that he tried to establish an objective to avoid the situation; he took precaution when just walking or standing on a subway platform. Baldwin 's violent response definitely differs from the avoidance by