A stereotype defined by oxford dictionary is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Stereotypes are most-commonly ingrained beliefs that a person cannot help but follow in his or her day-to-day life. Everyone has stereotypes. One common stereotype that most people tend to reject out of guilt or society’s morals is that black men, specifically, can be threatening to women. Brent Staples, an African American writer, has personally and generally experienced this stereotype in the streets of Chicago. By analyzing Staples’s rhetorical devices in “Just Walk on By”, one can certainly come to the assumption that stereotypes of race and gender impact an individual’s views on another. Staples’s
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If Staples was another white woman walking along the streets, the “victim” would not have felt as threatened. A white woman would not be a threat because she is a familiar figure. People tend to be most comfortable around those who are similar to themselves. Brent Staples is an African American man; he is the complete opposite to the “victim”. The “victim” has minimal parallels to the author; consequently, stereotypes are then put in play. To start off the essay with background, to draw the reader in, to give the audience an idea of his life, that is a brilliant use of an anecdote, and an exciting way to captivate an audience. Also, Staples’s powerful diction contributes to his ideas. When discussing stereotypes imposed upon black people, he states that he “chose, perhaps even unconsciously, to remain a shadow--timid, but a survivor”( Staples 543). The author shows how he evolved to be accepted by society’s standards. He did so without fully realizing it. It became a survival instinct. Comparing himself to a shadow connotes that he became harmless and remote to …show more content…
When concluding his short story, Staples reveals that as he walks along the streets of Chicago, he whistles tunes from composers such as Beethoven (Staples 544). Beethoven is a symbol for rich, white citizens as used in this context. The author takes a somewhat humorous approach here. His reasoning to this strange habit is that it is less threatening to strangers. The stereotype for those who listen or even know of Beethoven- to the strangers- is that he or she is a white, educated and well-off individual. Staples tricks strangers’ perception of him when they notice his knowledge of Beethoven; therefore, they associate him with an individual of higher class who is ultimately harmless. Staples has momentarily changed a stranger’s view on him by implementing a new stereotype in his favor. The author’s undertaking of this concept proves that he is a reliable source and has practical mindset. Finally, Staples includes a concession that displays his realistic and up-front persona. The author wrote that “the danger [women] perceive is not a hallucination” when they become cautious around men or specifically, black men (Staples 543). Staples shows that he understands the statistics and the reality that women are victims of rape and abuse by men. Generally, women are afraid of men’s power to dominate them. Showing his understanding for this, Staples is
If Staples was another white woman walking along the streets, the “victim” would not have felt as threatened. A white woman would not be a threat because she is a familiar figure. People tend to be most comfortable around those who are similar to themselves. Brent Staples is an African American man; he is the complete opposite to the “victim”. The “victim” has minimal parallels to the author; consequently, stereotypes are then put in play. To start off the essay with background, to draw the reader in, to give the audience an idea of his life, that is a brilliant use of an anecdote, and an exciting way to captivate an audience. Also, Staples’s powerful diction contributes to his ideas. When discussing stereotypes imposed upon black people, he states that he “chose, perhaps even unconsciously, to remain a shadow--timid, but a survivor”( Staples 543). The author shows how he evolved to be accepted by society’s standards. He did so without fully realizing it. It became a survival instinct. Comparing himself to a shadow connotes that he became harmless and remote to …show more content…
When concluding his short story, Staples reveals that as he walks along the streets of Chicago, he whistles tunes from composers such as Beethoven (Staples 544). Beethoven is a symbol for rich, white citizens as used in this context. The author takes a somewhat humorous approach here. His reasoning to this strange habit is that it is less threatening to strangers. The stereotype for those who listen or even know of Beethoven- to the strangers- is that he or she is a white, educated and well-off individual. Staples tricks strangers’ perception of him when they notice his knowledge of Beethoven; therefore, they associate him with an individual of higher class who is ultimately harmless. Staples has momentarily changed a stranger’s view on him by implementing a new stereotype in his favor. The author’s undertaking of this concept proves that he is a reliable source and has practical mindset. Finally, Staples includes a concession that displays his realistic and up-front persona. The author wrote that “the danger [women] perceive is not a hallucination” when they become cautious around men or specifically, black men (Staples 543). Staples shows that he understands the statistics and the reality that women are victims of rape and abuse by men. Generally, women are afraid of men’s power to dominate them. Showing his understanding for this, Staples is