In his youth and college experience, Robert Peace is faced with many cultural obstacles and cultural benefits which either held him back or supported him in life. In The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace we see the effect of many cultural elements which played upon the life perspectives of Robert Peace and the many people involved in his life, such as his Mother and Father and Jeff Hobbs and his friends. There were many cultural elements at play, including, but not limited to, race, gender, social status, self identity, community influence, work/employment, religion, etc. Some examples of these cultural elements at play can be seen throughout the book. I believe some of the more prominent examples of culture upon Robert Peace and the others
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It is found throughout the story, between many characters and even occurs before Robert Peace is even born. When Robert Peace was just a baby and even before he lived in Newark where there were many changes happening. Many of the white upper and middle class families moved out of Newark to the suburbs. This created a mostly black community and then led to police brutality. There were then changes in real estate and the credit system that made it difficult for lower income families to afford any housing. Robert continued to experience racism through his father when he was arrested and convicted for murder. His father's procecution was filled with racial divide and he was not given the right to a trial for three years. There was no evidence and an unreliable witness. With all of this Robert grows up aware of the racism around him but, tries to overcome it. Robert then goes to Yale where he continues to see the racial divide. “White students went to frat houses, one of five popular bars, outdoor quad parties; black students did something else, of which we knew little except that rap music was most likely playing very loud” (Hobbs, 133). Robert thought college would be different because everyone is educated and colleges should not tolerate that kind of
It is found throughout the story, between many characters and even occurs before Robert Peace is even born. When Robert Peace was just a baby and even before he lived in Newark where there were many changes happening. Many of the white upper and middle class families moved out of Newark to the suburbs. This created a mostly black community and then led to police brutality. There were then changes in real estate and the credit system that made it difficult for lower income families to afford any housing. Robert continued to experience racism through his father when he was arrested and convicted for murder. His father's procecution was filled with racial divide and he was not given the right to a trial for three years. There was no evidence and an unreliable witness. With all of this Robert grows up aware of the racism around him but, tries to overcome it. Robert then goes to Yale where he continues to see the racial divide. “White students went to frat houses, one of five popular bars, outdoor quad parties; black students did something else, of which we knew little except that rap music was most likely playing very loud” (Hobbs, 133). Robert thought college would be different because everyone is educated and colleges should not tolerate that kind of