The message that Brent Staples is trying to convey to the audience in his essay Just Walk On By, is that
as a society we have positive and negative preconceived thoughts of other people who are of either the same or different race and gender
.
What is Staples thesis in just walk on by?
In “Just Walk on By:
A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space
” Brent Staples discusses his ability to alter others emotions with his presence. Staples explains his thesis throughout the essay through narratives of incidents in his life.
What is the main point of just walk on by Brent Staples?
The purpose is to
explain how african americans like Staples go through stereotypes when people have nothing to be afraid of
. In the text he mentions how he is a journalist and how harmless really he is.
What is the story just walk on by about?
“Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples is a story of
a young black graduate student who describes the discrimination he endures every day because of his skin color and explains how he accommodates for the white people who are afraid of him
.
Why does Staples walk the streets at night?
Staples walks the streets at night
because he has trouble sleeping
. He walks everywhere in an effort to tire himself out. 4. Staples suggests that in our society, men are supposed to be powerful and have the ability to intimidate.
Why does Staples whistle melodies from classical composers?
(JWB) Staples cites the example of “melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers” to
allude to music with which his audience is likely to be familiar
. … (LBJ) The audience of this letter is clergy, American citizens, and the world.
What is Staples trying to accomplish with his first sentence?
Staples is trying to draw the reader in by alarming them. His opening sentence implies
that something much more sinister is going on
. The rest of the paragraph brings light to the irony in this sentence; he did not see her as a victim at all, but she felt fear that she could become one.
Who is the intended audience for just walk on by?
Audience:
Young minds
such as students reading his articles in class so he can change their perception before they are influenced by others harder to persuade. American citizens who were alive during the time of segregation, who still believe all black men/people are criminals/bad.
Who is the audience in just walk on by?
The audience is both
the black men who are victims to stereotypes
and also people who use stereotypes towards black men & fear them for no reason.
When was just walk on by published?
in psychology from the University of Chicago and went on to become a journalist. The following essay originally appeared in Ms. Magazine in
1986
, under the title “Just Walk On By.” Staples revised it slightly for publication in Harper’s a year later under the present title.
What is Brent Staples just walk on by summary?
In “Just Walk on By: A
Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space
”, Brent Staples explains the impact he has on other people just for being an African American man. Writing for an audience of black men who have experienced discrimination.
What is the mood of just walk on by?
Staples describes some personal experiences where he was misjudge or thought of as a criminal because of his skin color. His essay is driven by
emotions and anger
. Brent changes his tone of writing from being sarcastic to bitter and than polite.
What preconceptions does staples assume about his audience?
Staples assumes that his audience has the same preconceived notions about black men as the people in the examples he describes; he assumes that his
audience also tends to perceive men like him as a threat
.
Why does Staples mention Norman Podhoretz could he make the same points without referring to Podhoretz’s essay?
Could he make the same points without referring to Podhoretz’s essay? Staples mentions Norman
Podhoretz as a promoter of making african americans as bad people
. He can make the same point without mentioning Podhoretz but, including the standpoint of a racist leader makes his essay stronger.
Does Staples use logic emotion or a combination?
Staples makes his point
both with logic and emotion
.
The first sentence
causes suspense and apprehension in
the book. This creates a strong impact on the reader and makes him feel curious throughout the story that will follow from that sentence.
