On The Sidewalk Bleeding Andy

Stereotype n. - a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or an idea of a particular type of person or thing. They are everywhere. Whether it be in media, literature, or familial conversations. Stereotypes have been implemented into us since we were young children; if someone has certain facial characteristics, they dress or act a certain way they are this, this, and this. People immediately make assumptions based on appearances and think they know that person. When in reality they only know a tiny, miniscule detail about that person. Conformity is of great significance in Evan Hunter’s “On the Sidewalk Bleeding,” a depressing short story about Andy, who takes pride in the gang he is in, but does not realize in time how it is robbing him of his identity. Hunter employs mood, symbolism, and irony to show the disintegration of Andy’s identity and the destructive power of conformity. …show more content…
He has been lying in the alleyway for almost an hour now, people have been passing by, and he is just about to meet his demise. A quote that expresses this mood is, “He watched the world passing at the other end of the alley. The world didn’t know he was Andy. The world didn’t know he was alive” (5). It emphasizes the depressing mood of the story because Andy is on his deathbed and the people that are passing are just going about their lives not knowing. The sad, depressing mood conveys Andy’s continuous struggle to be seen as Andy and not just a