What was the authors goal in telling their story?
Staples doesn't like the stereotype that comes with being a black man in urban areas, especially at night. Not all black men are harmful and not all should be taken as criminals
how did he appeal to his audience? (ethos, pathos, logos)
Ethos: Telling his own stories (credibility) and realizations of black men in public spaces
Pathos: Telling his audience that he grew up a good boy, goes to collage, and is a softy that can scarcely take a knife to raw chicken gives the audience a (positive) emotional reaction
Logos: The logical structure of his writing appeals to Logos.
Most powerful and memorable part of the passage
The way Brent Staples starts out his story "My first victim was a woman" grabs the readers attention and is a memorable passage
What historical context influenced this passage?
Staples own experiences and observations influenced this passage. How race, gender, and class affect someones view on you
What moments in the text were powerful because of specific word choice of the author? (diction)
when the author states "As a softy who is scarcely able to take a knife to a raw chicken- let alone one to a persons throat." this is powerful because it shows that he cant even "hurt" dead matter
Map the rhetorical triangle (Writer/ speaker, subject, audience)
writer/ speaker: Brent Staples
Subject: Race, gender, class, and its ability to dictate what one may think about another
