Just Walk on By A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space by Brent Staples Free Essay Example, 1000 words

In examining the way Brent Staples sequences his point of view narrative to impact the reader his use of personal stories is an important element. Staples presents a number of personal stories in a sequence allowing one to build on the next in an effort to build an argument that has a powerful effect on the reader. In these regards, Staples presents a number of instances where he encounters individuals alone on a city street who fear him because of his race. These stories are augmented with anecdotes from Staples' life. Two of the most powerful of these are those when Staples discusses instances where he faces extreme oppression and prejudice entering a jewelry store and later when attempting to speak with his editor. These stories are powerfully impactful as they attest to the extremity of the social stigma that has been placed upon him. In many regards, his examples are representative of real-world experience, as it would be na ve to not think that women walking down a street at n ight alone might fear a lone black man. While these personal stories demonstrate the extreme reactions society has to him and his acquaintance, in some instances it's clear that they are made to sound sensational just for increased reader reaction. We will write a custom essay sample on Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space by Brent Staples or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Perhaps that is the conclusion to be drawn; namely that the experience of otherness is all pervasive and oppressive in this individual s daily life. Ultimately, Staples sequences these personal stories in this way to allow one to build on to the next to build evidence that makes a believable and impactful argument.