Question

brent staples just walk on by: black men and public space brent staples (b. 1951) earned his ph.d. in psychology from the university of chicago and went on to become a journalist. the following essay originally appeared in ms. magazine in 1986, under the title \just walk on by.\ staples revised it slightly for publication in harpers a year later under the present title. the particular occasion for stapless reflections is an incident that occurred for the first time in the mid - 1970s, when he discovered that his mere presence on the street late at night was enough to frighten a young white woman. recalling this incident leads him to reflect on issues of race, gender, and class in the united states. as you read, think about why staples chose the new title, \black men and public space.\ verbal irony my first victim was a woman - white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties. i came upon her late one evening on a wealthy deserted street in hyde park, a relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean, impoverished section of chicago. as i swung onto the avenue behind her, there seemed to be a discreet, uninflammatory distance between us. not so. she cast back a worried glance. to her, the youngish black man - a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket - seemed menacingly close. after a few more quick glimpses. directions: answer the guided reading questions below as you read the text. 1. how does the author refer to the woman in the first sentence? white well dressed in her twenties 2. is our first impression of the author correct? no, because he only talks as if he just stalking her 3. look at the authors word choice in the 3rd paragraph. highlight in

Explanation:

1. The author refers to the woman as "white, well - dressed, probably in her early twenties" in the first sentence.
2. Our first impression of the author as a stalker is incorrect. He is simply walking behind her, but her perception is influenced by racial stereotypes.
3. Without seeing the 3rd paragraph, we cannot complete this part.

Answer:

1. A white, well - dressed woman probably in her early twenties.
2. No, because her perception is based on racial stereotypes, not his actual behavior.