Public Spaces

Words: 482
Pages: 2
Open Document
Culture influences a variety of different things in today’s society. One big effect it can have is how people view others and the world around them. This is shown in the passages “By Any Other Name” and “Black Men and Public Space.” Culture can affect all kinds of different things. In “Black Men and Public Space” Brent Staples discusses his own experiences on how he is stereotyped because he is an African American and looks intimidating in “public spaces.” Staples, is an intelligent man that is a graduate student at the University Of Chicago but due to his skin complexion he is constantly being discriminated against. On one of nightly walks, he encountered a white woman. She believed that Staples was following her and worried he was getting …show more content…
Santha and Premila's mother places the girls into an Anglo-Indian day school. The teacher there assigns them their new Anglo names, Cynthia and Pamela. Santha feels as if she is two different girls entirely. When Santha was asked “What’s your name, dear” she responded with “I don’t know” Santha is confused and doesn’t really know what to say. Her two different names causes her to feel detached to Cynthia, as if she has no responsibility or concern for the person she becomes when she goes to school. Santha disagrees with this idea, showing that she is a completely different person when she is Cynthia at her school. The girls face great adversity. Despite their Anglo names, the other white children segregate themselves from the Indian girls. Near the end of the story, while Santha sits in class, Premila shows up and tells her to grab her things. The two girls walk home together, with Santha wondering what had gone wrong. At home, their mother is concerned about why they are home so early. Premila tells her that during their test, the teacher required that all of the Indian children sit in the back of the classroom with a desk separating each of them. The reason that the teacher had given was that “Indian children cheat.” This affects the way the family looks on the school and agrees not to go there
Show More

Related Documents: Public Spaces

Summary Of Needs In Public Space

Needs in Public Space go into detail on what makes a good public space citing many great examples in the process. The author makes a good point early on that although a majority of people intend to go to these spaces, sometimes people stumble upon them by accident. It is important to make a good first impression on these people because if not they may never come back, or see the space as important. Like we have learned previously fear or bad experiences can lead to people never inhabiting a space again…

Words 417 - Pages 2

Essay On Altering Public Space

Altering Public Space Fear is the main cause of altering public space. People alter public space all of the time in our daily lives. It happens whether you know that it does or not. Most of the time it happens when you are not paying attention to it. The times that you do pay attention to it though can really have a lasting effect on you. Public space is a place that is open to the public. I altered public space on multiple occasions, when I was sick, when a car thought I followed them, and…

Words 632 - Pages 3

Summary Of Black Men And Public Space

The short story “Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples who is a journalist in Chicago, shows us how stupid and ignorant people can be just to judge quickly. Brent Staples shows us that no matter how hard we work or earn, many white American will always prejudge all blacks in the same manner. He starts by explain that his first victim was a white woman in Chicago who reacted to his attendance. She categorized Staples just by the way he looked and ran for the nearest place she thought was safe…

Words 220 - Pages 1

Racial Intolerance In 'Black Man And Public Space'

have, your view on race may be different than others. Some people grow up being taught that the color of someone's skin really portrays a vast amount of information about their personality, intentions, etc. In the literary stories, “Black Man and Public Space”, by Brent Staples (page 410), “Home Training,” by Bruce A. Jacobs (page 55), and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, racial intolerance is a main theme. Each character is brought up by a different definition of skin color. To some it doesn't…

Words 772 - Pages 4

Essay on Public Space and Mobile Food Vehicles

.......................................................................................... 7 5.2 5.3 6. Adjacent premises......................................................................................................... 8 Existing public infrastructure ......................................................................................... 8 Special Events ..................................................................................................................... 8…

Words 2737 - Pages 11

Brent Staples 'Black Men And Public Spaces'

In “Black Men and Public Spaces” by Brent Staples, he describes how it’s like to be thought of as a criminal just because he has dark skin. Staples states how his first casualty was a well-dressed white woman in Chicago, who started jogging to get away from him. He then starts to realize the inheritance he has come into being a black man in urban America where fear and guns could lead to his death. Next, Staples describes how women always fear the worst of him and prepare themselves as if they are…

Words 263 - Pages 2

The application of inflatable installation Art in public space Essay

special art form ,Inflatable Installation Art plays an unique role in public spaces. Facing complicated city problems and various kinds of public space,inflatable installation gives its special solutions. As an implant object,inflatable installation sometimes seems incompatible with nearby surroundings .However,its existence allows people getting rid of the inertia of surroundings and taking a new look at our daily life and public spaces around us.Its special existing way and materials brings vitality…

Words 1545 - Pages 7

Smoking Should Not Be Allowed In Public Space Research Paper

Smoking should not be allowed to occur in any public spaces. Individuals have the right to smoke, but going into a public space with something that can be harmful to many other people makes smoking in public more than a personal choice. There are many reasons that smoking should not be allowed to happen in public spaces. Some of those reasons are that second hand smoke can cause damage to other people, it creates pollution in the surrounding air and smoking around others is unethical. Second hand…

Words 576 - Pages 3

Summary Of Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples

In his article, “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples describes his experiences with veiled prejudice and racism throughout his life in big cities. Staples explains how, as a black man, his appearance often causes people––including authorities––to “fear the worst from [him]” because of misjudgment of “young black males.” Women stiffen and quicken their pace, others cross to the other side of the road, and car doors are distinctively locked when Brent Staples is near because he is perceived…

Words 313 - Pages 2

Summary Of Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples

misperception is used on a daily basis. Like if a woman with constricting or revealing clothing were to cross the street, the public would view her as a slut. Or when a white person tries to avoid a black person because of their looks or the kind of crowd they’re with. Unfortunately, the most misperception is race. Brent Staples, a journalist and author of “Black Men and Public Space”, shares his experiences as a black man in Chicago. He writes his essay based on misperception and racism for young readers…

Words 298 - Pages 2