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The Importance Of Self Identity And Individuality

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The Importance of Self Identity and Individuality

Stereotypes have been around since the beginning and continue to hurt the lives of certain people in society. Due to stereotypes and prejudice made by certain people, the author, Evan Hunter, successfully demonstrated through the story “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” the consequences of stereotyping. The story focuses on a sixteen year old boy named Andy, and his last moments being alive after being stabbed by a rival gang known as the Guardians. Andy was stereotyped because of his purple jacket that identified him as a member of the Royals. While he is reflecting on his life, four people come by but do not take the time to help. The drunk man …show more content…

There were so many things to do. He wondered why he’d never thought of them before, wondered why the rumbles and the jumps and the purple jackets had always seemed so important to him before. Now they seemed like such small things in a world he was missing, a world that was rushing past at the other end of the alley” (Hunter, pg 6-7). The tone shown through this is sadness and grief because he is realizing all of the things he will never be able to do because he missed out on them and he realizes that there are many more things important to life than the purple jacket. This realization suggests that if he had not chosen the stereotyped identity of others in the gang that wear the purple jacket, he would not have been killed. If he had thought of the outcomes of his decision, he may of seen that it was not the best choice to join the Royals. It seems that he had thought more about the rewards of pride and respect than the things that would effect him. Which is another example as to why the tone is sadness and grief because he is regretting things he had chosen to do. In addition, the feeling and emotions towards the subject also happen when it is described that “If he had not been wearing the jacket, he wouldn’t have been stabbed. The knife had not been plunged in hatred of Andy. The knife hated only the purple jacket. The jacket was a stupid meaningless thing that was robbing him of his life” (Hunter, pg 7). Once again, this tone of

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