Fear and Judgement in New Spaces

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Fear and Judgement in New Spaces Though young black men may often be the culprits of violence, many of them are given the wrong label. The speaker in Brent Staples' essay, “Black Men and Public Space,” has become a victim of that stereotype. Recently having moved to a new neighbourhood, the speaker is bombarded with a number of new experiences, many of them are less than desirable. Due to the way his neighbours perceive him, he feels anxious on long narrow streets, in close proximity to passers by, and during interactions with strangers. Through the use of imagery, Staples is able to demonstrate the anxieties of the speaker as they are projected onto the world around him. The imagery of the atmosphere in which the speaker finds himself has a direct effect on the anxiety he feels. He is more at ease in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan as opposed to the confrontational and isolated streets of Soho. The speaker explains, “in Soho, for example, where sidewalks are narrow and tightly spaced buildings shut out the sky--things can get very taut indeed” (Staples 336), clearly outlining the way the speaker feels in this atmosphere. In this example, imagery of the buildings is used to cement the author's anxiety and solidify that his environment dictates his emotions. The discomfort that the speaker is experiencing in this environment is mirrored through the image of the encroaching buildings. At this point, the imagery being used in Staples' piece forces the reader to understand the speaker's experiences and discomfort. Proximity, similar to environment, can also have an adverse effect on the speaker's personal anxiety. In the following example, the speaker describes his encounters with white females: “their purse straps strung across their chests bandolier-style, they forge ahead as though bracing themselves against being tackled” (336), as if he could attack at

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