Brent Staples, just walk on by - Essay Example

12 November An Analysis of Brent Staple’s “Just Walk on By” In Brent Staple’s “Just Walk on By”, he tells how the resounding and drastic effect of the early segregation that used to separate Whites and Blacks has been dragged together with the aging of time. He elaborates on how Blacks are deemed nothing but as a peril, a burglar, a thug, and a constant source of fearsomeness to the Whites, as the author describes, by the Whites themselves (Staples, “Just Walk on By”). In quintessence, the essay talks about the racial discrimination directed towards the Black people; a discrimination that many have thought to have ended after the Blacks have obtained their freedom.

Somehow, the author expresses his surprises about the sweeping generalizations superficially formulated for Blacks; and some are even the most non-sense ever. He conveys about the inability of the Whites to live peacefully and soundly with the Blacks; he conveys about the Whites unwillingness to stop and think about the freedom that makes America a new melting pot of races; the segregation that guards the possibility of openness between the two races so the Whites always feel troubled of the Blacks.

The essay touches on three themes: the undying repercussions of segregation, discrimination, and the White’s traditionally ascribed fear over the Blacks. The author speaks in a personal point of view. He is black, which is quite clear. He uses his own experiences in order to corroborate his claims about how Blacks are always mistakenly referred to as the “bad” people of the society. He starts by describing Blacks being mistakenly thought of as wicked people. This wickedness even comes in an assorted fashion: thug, burglar, a constant source of fright.

This, in some way, suggests of the direness of the White’s fear.The author uses his personal experience of a young woman whom he describes as “white, well-dressed” and young at her early twenties (Staples, “Just Walk on By”). Upon seeing him at a discreet distance, the woman scampered seriously. It is valid to surmise that they are strangers to each other but where did the fear of the woman come from? Seen this way, there has been a superficial generalization of Blacks as a threat or a danger.

Where did these fresh Whites get their notion of Blacks as frightening? The Whites would always refer to the history between the two races: Whites being the more educated, superior ones while the Blacks remain slaves. In the later passages, the author uses the word “thunk” four times. This is an onomatopoeia that subtly refers to how the Whites fear the Blacks. It means that the Whites would always be wary of the presence of Blacks that they are always in full volition to lock the car’s door, perhaps, to relieve themselves from this culturally-shaped fear over Blacks.

The author ends his essay with the use of alliteration. He constantly uses the phrase “negro problem”, which talks about the subconscious fear of Whites over the Blacks. The author reconciles this problem by initiating a social treatment that would somehow preclude the transpiring of fear among Whites because of a Black’s presence. For example, he “moves about with care”; and “give a wide berth to nervous people” (Staples, “Just Walk on By”). Works CitedStaples, Bates. “Just Walk on By.” Cf.linnbenton.

Linn-Benton Community College, n.d. Web. 13 November 2012.