Annotations: Brent Staples’s “Black Men and Public Space”
Title, author, p*ublication*: “Black Men and Public Space” by Bent Staples, American author. It was originally published in Harper’s Magazine in 1986.
Purpose, audience, and enthymemes: Staples publishes this article to inform the general public on how colored men are perceived in the eyes people, especially during compromising situation, like during the night. Watching a black man walk the streets during the night triggered a sort of self-defense mechanism in people; whether they are black, white, male, or female. Staples wishes to state that not all black men deserve to be feared, and that their intensions should not be doubted, for they could be pure. He assumes that his audience is that the audience is familiar with the stereotypes that most people possess.
Central argument and implied arguments: Central argument: There are situations where it is a justified response to be afraid and want that safe feeling, and not feel endangered.
Implied argument: The security of one-self does justify certain responses to black men, but it’s debatable whether security figures take it to an extreme when keeping an eye on black men.
Stages of thought: 1.) Staples recites his experiences as an example of the point he is going to make.
2.) He argues of her side a little, for why she may have been afraid, but also the fact that she had no reason to be afraid, for there was great distance between them and his intensions where not even close to that.
3.) He provides more examples to prove his point and his argument.
4.) Shows the precautions he has to take.
5.) He finally states the thesis.
Structural features: Staples’s argument is inductive in structure, for he uses a set of specific facts and bases that around a general conclusion.
Staples rely mostly on personal experiences, and writes this article in a story type fashion.
Rhetorical features: Staples uses a bunch of anecdotes to make...