A black man ponders his power to alter public space by Brent Staples
Critical Analysis Paper
Social equality is one elusive dream that every member of the minor sectors of the society practically hope for. Nevertheless, because of the emergence of social profiling and the way media portrays racial differences, it could be realized how racial differentiation among members of the society is expected to stay. In his essay, Brent Staples provides a good essence of what it feels to live under such premeditated understanding of one’s being based on a person’s appearance and racial identity. He mentions how such identity causes people like him to lose hope and opportunity of realizing a better life ahead. Through the use of figures of speech, appeal to emotion and appeal to intellectual reasoning, Staples tried to put his readers into a position that would make it easier for them to understand his considerations and understanding about life and its unequal facts.
The issue is real and Brent Staples made sure that his readers would realize the factual background of the matter. He made sure that while they read through the lines of his narrative, they will find common matters that would connect them to the situations he aims to relay to the readers. This is where the concept of utilizing the appeal towards intellectual reasoning comes in place. Regarding this, he notes his position in the society as follows: “On less traveled streets after dark, I grew accustomed to but never comfortable with people who crossed to the other side of the street rather than pass me”. Letting his readers imagine the situation, he made sure that he can point out the hardship of his life and the desire to get out of such condition of social pretext intended to create a distinct being out of what he has become through the years. He mentions how instead of being just the person he wanted to be, he needed to make sure that he can prove that he is not what others think he is. It was as if he needed to always make an extra effort to make sure that the people around him do not label him to be like the others.
The chronological arrangement of his narrative gives a clear view of the then and now situation of people living under the same condition of social profiling. In a way, it was as if amidst the advancements of human living and technology, racial profiling and the moral values it detests to follow are among those that remain intact. Supposedly, a modern society would be able to withstand such conditions of dealing with their fellowmen, however, the truth hurts, and sometimes, such pain remains real and distinctively affective of how people from all walks of life tend to realize the opportunities that life itself offers them. To impose on his point, he makes use of a metaphorical picture that proves the pressure that the society is putting on his people as he mentions : “An infant discovers that random flailings send the baby bottle flying out of the crib and crashing to the floor”; somehow, this line points out how even the young ones become accustomed to the hostile culture of the lifestyle they are in need of dealing with.
What chance does a member of the society’s minor group stand against racial profiling? According to Staples’ writing, unless the community changes in its views and actuations towards racial discrimination and profiling, nothing will change in the way the people from minor groups are treated. No matter how high their ambitions are or their status in life has become, discrimination and separation of races will continue to prevail.
Reference:
Staples, B. Just Walk On By. http://campus.kellerisd.net/Teachers/12567/Homework%20Review/Close%20Reading/Staples_Brent_Just_Walk_on_By.pdf. (Retrieved on April 21, 2014).
