deez nutz
Brian Barran
Mrs. Susan W. UrbaniaEnglish Composition
September 26, 2012
When you look at me what do you see? Each person views the world through a lens that is colored by his/her own expectations and past experiences. I agree with this statement because experiences always have an impact on people’s point of view in life no matter what whether it’s right or wrong. An example of how people let experiences and expectations influence the way that they perceive the world come from a short story by Jerald Walker “Scattered Inconveniences.” A story of how assumption can be dangerous. Another story that can relate is “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Ability to Alter Public Space” by Brent Staples. A story of how stereotypes can be a menace in someone’s life and how ridiculous it can be.
In the story “Scattered Inconveniences” there was a black family from Iowa City on their way to a secure a better life financially in New England. One night during their long haul on the highway they encounter a man in a truck harassing them by cutting in front on them and slowing down in front of them. The black man started to assume that the man in the truck that seems to be a racist and is just harassing them on the road because they are black. This assumption was based off of what he had been through in his stay in Iowa and experiences growing up. For example, he says “But I had heard similar things about Iowa, only later to experience no problems.“No problems” is not to say “nothing,” though, for there were what a black intellectual referred to as
“scattered inconveniences” – women crossing the street or removing their purses from grocery carts at my approach, security guards following me in department stores.” (Walker 1) In this situation the stereotype of the black man has affected him so much that he has created an equal stereotype for white people, which doesn’t solve anything because the reason why the man in the truck was harassing him on the road
Mrs. Susan W. UrbaniaEnglish Composition
September 26, 2012
When you look at me what do you see? Each person views the world through a lens that is colored by his/her own expectations and past experiences. I agree with this statement because experiences always have an impact on people’s point of view in life no matter what whether it’s right or wrong. An example of how people let experiences and expectations influence the way that they perceive the world come from a short story by Jerald Walker “Scattered Inconveniences.” A story of how assumption can be dangerous. Another story that can relate is “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Ability to Alter Public Space” by Brent Staples. A story of how stereotypes can be a menace in someone’s life and how ridiculous it can be.
In the story “Scattered Inconveniences” there was a black family from Iowa City on their way to a secure a better life financially in New England. One night during their long haul on the highway they encounter a man in a truck harassing them by cutting in front on them and slowing down in front of them. The black man started to assume that the man in the truck that seems to be a racist and is just harassing them on the road because they are black. This assumption was based off of what he had been through in his stay in Iowa and experiences growing up. For example, he says “But I had heard similar things about Iowa, only later to experience no problems.“No problems” is not to say “nothing,” though, for there were what a black intellectual referred to as
“scattered inconveniences” – women crossing the street or removing their purses from grocery carts at my approach, security guards following me in department stores.” (Walker 1) In this situation the stereotype of the black man has affected him so much that he has created an equal stereotype for white people, which doesn’t solve anything because the reason why the man in the truck was harassing him on the road