On The Sidewalk Bleeding Essay

While differences between Walter Dean Myers "Monster" and Evans Hunter 's "On The Sidewalk Bleeding" give an insight on morality and how choices of the two characters Steven Harmon and Andy are shaped by their peers, and had an impact on their lives, their loved ones and the way society treats them. Steven Harmon is a sixteen–year–old black male that was part of a robbery and is on trial for murder, and is hard a very hard time in court trying to prove his innocence. Whereas, Andy is also a sixteen–year–old boy that joined a gang that went by "The Royals" and was stabbed and killed by their rivalry gang that went by the "Guardians". Firstly, Steve and Andy are both very good educated young males, but just like any other kid in their...show more content...

Steve took it hard being called a monster he almost started to believe it himself. "In front of him. He is writing the word Monster over and over again. A white hand (O 'BRIEN 'S) takes the pencil from his hand and crosses out all the Monsters" (Myers,24). Although both boys had gone through different scenarios and had good hearts, their poor choices the society had judged and labelled, one as a monster and the other as a gang member.

Secondly, Steve and Andy chose to hang out with the wrong crowd, which didn 't help them at all when it came to them making the choices they 've made. The Diabalo 's was the name of the crew Steve was hanging out with and that is where all of Steve 's problems started. "I need to get paid, man. I ain 't got nothing between my butt and the ground, but a rag" said King and Steve replied with "I hear that" Peaches also replied back with " Restaurant owners got money, too. That 's the only things left in our neighborhood–restaurants, liquor stores, and drugstores. King asked Steve " What you got youngblood"?. And Steve replied with " I don 't know (Myers,50–51). Steve 's first mistake was choosing to hang out with that crew and his second mistake was getting involved in their conversations about robbing different places in their community because with Steve agrees they were going to think he was down for the robbery and just wanted them to push it on him more. "When Bobo mentioned the other

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The main theme of the story "On The Sidewalk Bleeding" is identity. Andy is frustrated at everyone for not giving him a chance of how people identify him. He wants to die known as just Andy, not a member gang of the 'Royals'. In the line "He was not a Royal. He was simply Andy" tells me that Andy was a person who had dreams like getting married to his girlfriend Laura, having kids and travelling, living in Bronx. But since he's in a gang and wore a Royal purple jacket with pride, people assumed he was just another gang member. They didn't realise Andy was a regular guy wanting to live a normal life. When Andy joined the 'Royals' he felt so proud and accepted, little did he know in the end it would be that main reason that cost his life....show more content...

The rain is the key of the story making everything feel sad, nervous and curious. The author tries to create as horrific a setting as possible. In the quote, "March rain drilling his jacket and drilling his body and washing away the blood that poured from his open wound." makes me feel spooked. I can imagine a person lying on his side with blood spilling out, washing away by the rain creating a red puddle. For example, if Andy was lying in a field of grasses, with no clouds, clear blue sky and the sun brightly shining, I will would not feel as frightened reading the story. The rain was also a good thing as it helped Andy remember the good moments in his life, in the lines, "The rain was soothing somehow", "Rain is sweet, I'm Andy" these lines tell me Andy is realising he's dying that's when he remembers the time he danced in the rain with Laura. He wants to forget about the gang 'Royal' but only think of Laura in the last few moments before dying. In these moments time seems slow and painful because the rhythm of the rain, there Andy's having regrets about joining the gang who cost him his life. He thinks about how young he was and the life he wanted to live in the future. His whole face and body are hot but it's cooled by the raindrops symbolising how much Andy loves the rain and thinks it's soothing thing washing away his blood and accepting he's dying

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Short Story Essay In the Bronxs, New York, at 11:13 pm, in a dark alley lies a boy, blood is pouring out of his stomach, for moments ago a knife had been driven into him and ripped across his body. In the story "On The Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter a young man named Andy regrets his choices as he's staring death in the eyes. The moral of this story is to make choices you will not regret in the future. Andy made choices in his life that he regrets in his last moments. Some of the choices he regrets are joining the Royals gang, going to the ruble, and wearing the Royals jacket. The first way Andy develops the theme is by joining the gang called the Royals. Although Andy was being stabbed, "even in his pain, there had been some sort of pride knowing he was a Royal. Now there was no pride at all" (Hunter 5). When he first joined the Royals he was...show more content... Andy had been in rumbles before, but nothing like this had happened: "No, he thought, I can't be dying, not from a little street rumble, not from just being cut" (Hunter 3). Before the rumble Andy went to go get a package of cigarettes. He was wearing his jacket as he made his way down the alley to the store. That is where members of the Guardians stabbed him. Andy saw being apart of the gang and being in rumbles as fun, but after being stabbed he started to regret this. If he had not gone he would have gotten to have a life with Laura. The last way Andy develops the theme is by wearing the purple silk Royals jacket. He wondered "had they known that he was Andy or had they simply known that he was a Royal wearing a purple silk jacket?...what good was the title if you were dying" (Hunter 4). The purple jacket that Andy had pride wearing is what cut his life short. Andy regrets wearing it because they only saw him as a Royal, and not as Andy. He wants them to know he is Andy, so with his last bit of energy he takes off the jacket before it is too

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The Thoughts of a boy "On the Sidewalk Bleeding"

Why is it that when you are in the stages of death, the world seems to become different? It is the same concept as grieving. Somebody who is grieving is known to go through multiple stages that change their perception of the world. For instance, a woman who is grieving might distance herself from the instance and attempt to continue her life. Although theman whom she was grieving for may have thought that he did not want her to think of him in this way it is impossible to be definite with this answer, as science cannot explain the heart. While exploring the short story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter, it was found that Andy, the main protagonist is going through his coming of age moment. This moment begins when he is stabbed and left on a sidewalk. He begins to go through three peak moments that transform him from a child to adult ignorance, idealism, and selfishness all turn into knowledge, realism and selflessness. Andy, whilst on his deathbed turns from adolescence to adulthood. He learns that the world he lives in was all about gangs and doing what Andy would please to be a selfless and knowledgeable man.

Ignorance and knowledge, one blissful, the other a curse. Opposites and equals. When on a sidewalk bleeding it is interesting to think this could be the moment when someone realizes that by making these choices, led them to their death. The ignorance of a young man can never be surpassed, but can always prove detrimental. Andy is an ignorant boy as most boys are. The Protagonist believes the cut he receives is going to be fine and he decides to lay there and wait, he waits and waits and waits. Nobody comes to help him, the closest he gets to help is Freddie, who leaves him and helps his girlfriend get home. Freddie fears The Guardians finding out who helped the Royals. While he is lying there, all he can think is, "That was a fierce rumble, they got me good that time." (Hunter, 1). Andy believes that help is coming, whether that be because he is a royal, or because this was not severe, Andy is going to die and nobody will want to help him except for his girlfriend Laura who only finds him too late. As if it is as soon as he sees Freddie and his Get

Symbolism

In the story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter, the theme of titles are not as important as they seem is conveyed by literary elements of flashback and symbolism. Flashback is one literary element that plays a considerable role in the making of "On the Sidewalk Bleeding". While Andy was on the pavement with his life slowly seeping out of him, he awakened the old feeling of great bliss from a new title, a new jacket. "He could remember when the Royals had taken him"(Hunter 6). This is a fantastic example of a flashback, Andy pondered the feeling of apotheosis, but to his disadvantage, the contentment would not last. In the end, that title will always lead to grief and melancholy. Then continued to think about his life even more. Andy ...show more content...

Some things Andy thought was important, like the jacket, was not as important morally, but for the story, it symbolically means something other that just a jacket. " ...the jacket read the Royals"(Hunter 1). The jacket was used to mean importance or dignity in Andy's life, but after some shocking realization and dying, he found the real symbol, the real name of the jacket. Death. More key symbols were scattered throughout the story, what they represent is obvious and it connects to the theme of titles not being as important as they seem to be. When he left the dance, a knife was plunged into his purple Royal jacket, and under that jacket, there was a kid named Andy who bled out on a sidewalk thanks to the knife. "...the knife..."(Hunter 7). The knife was portrayed as anger and ignorance; there was anger in the knife, and that anger hated the jacket that Andy was wearing. Ignorance of the person underneath the detested jacket led to an unneeded murder. Without that anger, without the stabbing, Andy would have gone through his life thinking that his jacket was who he was. The jacket was shredded by a knife brimming with anger and the jacket suddenly lost all of its value, and yet Andy still had more to figure out in his life before his last breath. The whole reason Andy left the dance was his need for some more cigarettes. The cigarettes played the whole

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Gang–related violence is a reoccurring event in today's society. In Even Hunter's story, "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" the theme of self–identity is explored. This will be shown through a detailed analysis of all the metaphors in the story. Further, the growth of Andy as a character will be displayed from "Andy the royal" to just Andy. Finally, the irony around the story and the importance of self– identity will be explored and menacingly you try you can not erase the troubles of your past.

As Andy lies on the street bleeding the author allows us to realize that all the people coming into the alleyway are metaphors for Andy himself. The removal of his jacket symbolizes the desire Andy had to get rid of a stereotypical label of the Royals, " The jacket had only...show more content... The removal is not easy and that event symbolizes how a gang is a powerhouse of death, prejudice, worthlessness community. As Andy was laying there in his deathbed he was dreaming about all those moments he could cherish and spend with his family and Laura; however, they were ruined by a gang.

He was simply Andy, and he was dead. And he wondered suddenly if the Guardians who ambushed him and knifed him has ever once realized he was Andy.(Hunter 40)

You see in today's society, no one cares about gang–related violence; it doesn't matter if there's a gang related death but if there is a suicide it's all over the news. Mainstream media doesn't want to talk about this. Andy grew as a character and with this story, he has sparked a rocket. He allowed us to realize that there is not enough awareness on this topic and younger generations don't have the knowledge about gangs and how they can affect their life drastically.

Self–identity is a crucial part of life. Andy grew as a character and person, and he finally

realizes that the name on his back is putting a label on that shouldn't be there.You see if Get

In life people learn lessons from friends, family, literature, and in life decisions. Most lessons can help a lot for future problems that might occur. All these lessons could possibly change how people think about life and help people learn to be more cautious about situations and problems that could happen later on in the future. Most of the lessons that help a lot are the ones people read from short stories like "Kath And Mouse" ,"The Long Journey" ,and " On The Sidewalk Bleeding ". In the story "Kath And Mouse " readers learn that being yourself is all that matters even if it takes a lot of courage to do it. Kath begins to start picking on Helen ( mouse )the new girl at Kath's school and things get a bit out of hands with the horrible...show more content...

Walter had mentioned "If I failed english this semester , my parents would be more than mad. What's done is done .He'll [ his teacher ] never know the difference. Walter does this because he could not think of any ideas for the english assignment but just to pass the english class he takes the risk of being caught plagiarizing by his teacher. The readers might have learned from this short story that plagiarizing assignments for school work is never the solution or else there will be serious consequences. In the story "On The Sidewalk Bleeding" readers learn that the choices people can make could have serious consequences. Andy joins a gang without thinking about the consequences that come with it in the future. The narrator says in the story that " The knife had not been plunged in hatred of Andy the knife hated only the purple jacket ". Andy thinks to himself that the reason being that he was stabbed was because he was wearing the purple jacket and if he had not been wearing it he would have not been stabbed by The guardians ( the Royals arch rivals ). The readers might have learned from this short story that it is better to think about a life changing decision before just going ahead and doing

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My character I'll pick is from the story, "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" Andy is a high schooler with high standards for what he did at the end. Andy was a normal guy with a loving girlfriend named Laura. Andy seemed like a well behaved, educated kid but something he was apart of changed his life for the bad. At the beginning of the story Andy was minding his business until a member of the Guardians stabbed Andy, a member of the Royals gang, in a dark alley without even seeing Andy's face. As Andy goes through the depressed stage/thoughts and what he will do next, a few people walk by and don't help him. A couple even casted upon Andy laying down accepting any help he can get but instead, the couple leaves Andy where he was because he was a "Royal".

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According to the reporter (father), the mother (Joanne) would beat Claude with an extension cord, and burn him. She last beat him with an extension cord on last Monday, and he had/has bruises on his back. Claude was recently burned (the week of intake) with a cigarette under both of his eyes. The reporter did not know the reason Joanne would do this, but she does it often. Joanne would take him to Dr. Warrington in Clarksdale, MS, and would say that another children done it to him. Claude has scratches in his face, and the reporter thinks he is going to go blind soon because Joanne keeps beating him in his eyes. Whenever she gets into it with her boyfriend (Leroy), she would take the anger and pressure off on Claude and Jeremiah. The reporter

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On the Sidewalk Bleeding: Reading Response "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter at first seemed to be a very violent and peculiar short story. The title can sound quite alarming and curious. There is a tremendous change in the protagonist's opinion. Sixteen–year–old Andy starts off as slightly materialistic, proud and ignorant, after a few encounters and a lot of reflection he matures and becomes a more perceptive human being. As I started to read the story, I had not yet thought too much of Andy; however, as he approached his death, I started to truly empathize him. The author did a good job at making one feel empathetic. The first couple of paragraphs are very graphic and specific. The narrator describes the knife as having been "entered...show more content...

One young man finds out just how important choices can be". At first, I didn't really know what the author meant but as Andy comes closer to death it started to become very clear. Andy made the choice to join a gang and later starts to regret it. I think that the author wants to express that you have to think about your life while you are living because when you are nearly dead it is too late. After Andy did not receive help from the couple, he saw that the jacket made people see him as an anonymous gang member and not as his true self. A part of the story that I find to be deeply troubling is when Laura says "his name is Andy" and the police officer ignores her. Andy died, trying to liberate himself from the jacket's title and reclaim his individuality. Laura knew and loved Andy but the police officer (and I assume most of society) will continue to see him under a label. Disposing of a label that one acquires throughout their life can be difficult to do. This holds relevance when we look at today's society. Everyday people do things that they may regret. Something one might learn from the story is to think before making important

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The Sidewalk Bleeding Symbolism

The Guardian's full story continues on pages 4 and 5 with the bold title "Charming, talented, and arrogant–the fall of South Africa's golden boy". Both pages portray different pictures which associate with the meaning of the title. Regularly, papers make the news salient by "personifying events" and pictures play a crucial role in the personification of people (Hall, 1973). Some show past and glorious activities and other especially the bigger one in size displaying his arrest symbolizes his fall. The tiny picture of Pistorius' mansion in Pretoria represents the crime scene. The narrative starts out with the statement "Oscar Pistorius became a pinup for the Paralympic movement, and his country". It describes the dramatic end of the romance

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On The Sidewalk Bleeding Essay When you come close to death you think about many things, who would fill your job? Where would your dog go? Most importantly, you would probably think about your family. In this short story, a character named Andy, gets stabbed in the middle of an alley. In the short story, On The Sidewalk Bleeding, the author, Evan Hunter describes how it would feel to be dying alone in a cold, dark alleyway. Andy is walking to the store, when suddenly, he gets stabbed in an alleyway. This happens all because of the jacket he is wearing. Evan Hunter used symbolism in his story, "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" to convey the theme of not judging a book by its cover.

Andy's, jacket and the words on the jacket, in the beginning of the story symbolizes violence. In the beginning of the story the narrator said, "He wore a bright purple silk jacket" (1). The only reason Andy got stabbed is because he was wearing the purple jacket. The purple jacket shows that Andy belongs to a gang. In the middle of the story, the boy, who finds Andy in the alley, sees the words on Andy's jacket, and ends up walking away from Andy not helping him. The boy saw THE ROYALS on the jacket then. He turned to the girl and said, "He's a Royal," (5) he said. This shows that the boy was weary of what Andy's jacket said so he walked away from Andy and didn't help him. If the boy would've stayed then Andy might have lived. Towards the middle of the story, Andy realizes that life is worth living and it's not all like hethought.

Andy starts to rethink if becoming a royal was worth it, and doesn't want to die in the way that he did. Andy is thinking negative thoughts and losing hope. "He watched people passing. The world didn't know he was alive." (8) People see Andy laying in the ground, but they see his jacket and what it represents, danger. In the story, the cop judges the way Andy died and seen him as a bad person. "The cop put the jacket over his arm. He took out his black pad. He opened it to a blank page. "A Royal," he said." (10) Since this happened it explains how people see others when they judge a book by its cover. People judge a book by

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Lall 1 A wise woman once said, "There is a time for everything– a time for being born and a time for coming of age. There is a time for death, too." (Barbara Bel Geddes). Most human beings go through a transition from adolescence to adulthood through an experience that opens one's mind towards an unfamiliar and new perspective of life. That said, in literature the concept of coming of age is used to engage teenagers by molding and creating characters that he or she can relate to. Correspondingly, Evan Hunter's "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" introduces the protagonist Andy, who experiences characteristic growth through the coming of age. Throughout Hunter's story, Andy is put forth to portray the development of transforming from...show more content...

He was not a Royal. He was simply Andy, and he was dead." (Hunter, 5). Nevertheless, how elated Andy was when he first joined the Royals he realized that the title meant nothing and he obliterated this irrational thought from his mind. He did not want to die a Royal, but as the person who he was, who he wanted to be remembered as; Andy. As Andy continues to reminisce, his mind expands towards the conclusion that "[e]ven in his pain, there had been some sort of pride in knowing he was a Royal. Now there was no pride at all...[He] want[s] to be Andy." (Hunter, 6). Unquestionably, affiliating with agang is not a pride–gratifying accomplishment. Hunter demonstrates this growth through the protagonist Andy. Andy now understands the complexity of what the real–life view is of being part of a gang; The Royals. Furthermore, knowledge of the world comes with an understanding between what is ideal versus real. Naturally, adolescents grow out of idealistic thinking. As one enters the real world, he or she understands what is realistic and what is impractical. Hunter portrays idealism versus realism through Andy. During the time that Andy is suffering in the alleyway his mind wonders off to his lover Laura. Thinking about her takes his mind off the pain he is experiencing. The protagonist has an unrealistic view of his future. After all, he is dying, his attitude is that "[s]omeday he would marry her, and they would have [many]

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Bleeding by Evan Hunter

On the Sidewalk Bleeding Critical Essay Marianne Lavery The story "On the sidewalk bleeding" by Evan Hunter deals with the issue of identity through the central character Andy, a young gang member who struggles with his identity as his death draws near. A young boy called Andy who left a nightclub to go and get cigarettes. He started walking through the alley when suddenly he got stabbed. As he got stabbed he heard a voice saying "That's for you Royal!" Andy had always been proud to be a Royal because the Royals and the guardians were two of the biggest and he was a Royal. Now as he lay dying on the sidewalk with the rain surrounding him, he thought of being a Royal but now all he wanted to be was Andy. It is evident that Andy...show more content...

They said "if we get a cop, the Guardians will find out who." I thought this was very cowardly and selfish of them to leave him there, dying just because they were scared. Andy knew he was at deaths door but he didn't want them to find him and say "oh he's a Royal!" So with great difficulty and determination, he rolled over onto his back. He felt the pain tearing at his stomach when he moved. He lay struggling with the shiny, wet jacket. Pain ripped fire across his body whenever he

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When you are growing up your surroundings influence the choices you make and how you grow up. The four text I studied are a short story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" written by Evan Hunter, a novel "The Hunger Games" by Susan Collins, a film "Remember the Titans" directed by Jerry Bruckheimer and lyrics composed by Cat Stevens. These four texts express the theme of "how surroundings can influence your choices when growing up"

In the short story 'On the Sidewalk Bleeding', the character Andy displays the theme of "how surroundings can influence your choices when growing up" as he is influenced by his upbringing to join a gang called the Royals. At the start of the story Andy reminisces about how he was accepted into the Royals, and that it...show more content...

The son's experiences before this make him think he has to go away, because he was denied by his father during his upbringing. This over rights how the father is trying to influence him to stay. The son feels out of place, this is similar to how Andy felt unaccepted, so to gain acceptance Andy joined the Royals. Both Andy's and the son's surroundings influenced their choices of moving away or joining a gang which both relate back to the theme.

In the Hunger Games by Susan Collins, the theme of "how surroundings can influence your choices when growing up" is shown through the character Katniss Everdeen. She was raised in a very poor society called districted 12 which is one of the many districts ruled by the capital. When Katniss is only 12 years old her father dies in a mining accident, her mother goes into shock and barely moves for months "I lost two parents that day" Katniss thought. She had to take charge so she began cooking, hunting and trading to keep the family alive. Like the "Son", Katniss's upbringing is influenced by her surroundings. But instead of running away from her troubles she faces them and overcomes her fears so she can provide for her family, such as venturing into the hub (black market trading). Katniss was able to support her family because her father had taught her how to hunt and provide for the family if it was ever needed. This novel showed how your surroundings influence your fight for survival

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Symbolic Purple On the Sidewalk Bleeding is a short story about self–identity and the reflection of one selves right before death. The main symbol in this story happens to be a Jacket that was purple with the wording ROYAL on the jacket. This boy happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. During his final moments he reflects on why he became a royal and wish he would have just stayed "Andy". In the beginning of this story it starts off with explain the main character Andy in third person view. The writer tells the reader that Andy is sixteen years old wearing a bright purple jacket, that represents his team or gang "The Royals'. The writer starts off the first sentence rather graphic by saying "the boy lay on the sidewalk bleeding in the rain", with this type of sentence it just makes the reader on a thirsty path to find out why. The next few paragraphs after, the writer explains in more graphic detail that "the knife entered just below his rib cage and had been drawn across his body violently, tearing a wide gap across his flesh." This sentence only makes me wonder if the rival gang wanted to destroy Andy jacket or try to really kill him. The boy didn't know he was dying. Andy only thought of the rain that was once clam is now fiercely falling. The writer tells us that the boy had multiple chances for help but because the boy Andy had a rival jacket on that some people where reluctant to help him. A drunk was stumbling in the alley that Andy was laying in and Get more content

Bleeding out Murder usually happens because people can't accept others. However, in the short story, "On The Sidewalk Bleeding", if at least one person would have considered helping Andy and not turn their backs on him. He would have lived. "On the sidewalk" Bleeding was written by Evan Hunter. Evan hunter's lesson of the story is self–identity, this is the main theme of the story because it is built around why Andy was stabbed. Andy was stabbed because he was wearing a purple jacket with the word royals on the back. The royals are a gang, their rivals are called the guardians. The author showed a few symbols in the story, but the main one is Andy's jacket. The jacket is the main symbol because without it there would be no story....show more content...

I'm Andy!" Andy screamed this while he was lying in the alley dying. When He was screaming for help this was a symbol of fear. I feel like he was scared of dying and was trying his hardest to scream help but all he could do was scream on the inside. "Hey, look at me! I'm alive! Don't you know I'm alive?" Andy screamed this while he was lying in the alley dying. When He was screaming for help this was a symbol of fear. I feel like he was scared of dying and was trying his hardest to scream help but all he could do was scream on the inside. This quote isn't a symbol, but it ties in with the jacket. How it ties in with the story is, Andy took off his jacket because he was regretting the life choices he made. In this body paragraph I talked about the setting of the alley where Andy was lying. This alley is a symbol of isolation because Andy was screaming for help, but couldn't find any. Reaching the end of this essay we can come to a conclusion that when Andy was lying on the ground dying and having the flashbacks, that he made bad life choices that he regrets. The story ends with Laura finds Andy in the alley, she runs to get help but it's too late. When she finds an officer, she realises that he is dead, but the police officer wouldn't have helped him anyway because he saw that he was a royal. The first main point of my body paragraph was the rain and a jacket. The second main point of my body paragraph was fear of being alone and

While there are some differences between Monster by Walter Dean Myers and On the Sidewalk Bleeding by Evan Hunter, The similarities in the moral struggles are pronounced by the characters drive to find their own individualities. Though choices of their own, both characters came to realized that they have traded their individuality and Struggle against the label that societies have given them. Steve greatest struggle is found within himself while he questions if he is a monster and he is forced to question on In the Monster by Walter Dean Myers, the character Steve Harmon finds himself easily excepting of the label of a monster which was presented by Sandra Petrocelli "But there are also monsters in our community– people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who disregard the rights of others". Steve doesn't view himself as an active participant in the robbery which leads to the death of the store owner Alguinaldo Nesbitt and because of this he has not completely excepted the label of a monster, looking at Petrocelli point of view of what makes a monster showed Steve that regardless if he plays a minor role or are larger role, he still took part in the crime which leads to death of Mr. Nesbitt, a crime which showed no regard for the rights of others and willingness to steal and kill. Being a person of morals Steve should have seen that they were about to steal from an innocent person without consideration for the victim, even though murder may not have been apart of the plan it is still an act which victimizes someone and in some ways place people in danger. Secondly, Steve faces probably the most challenging of all, Steve realizes that his father now views him as a monster and not as his son. Mr. Harmon showed his disappointment when he shares with Steve what he dreamt of for his son "When you were first born, I would lie up in bed thinking about scenes of your life. You playing football. You going off to college. I used to think of you going to Morehouse and doing the same things I did when I was there. I never made the football team, but I thought–I dreamed you would. I never thought of seeing you in a place like this. It just never came to me that you'd ever be in any kind of trouble." This Get more content

On The Sidewalk, Bleeding Gang violence is something that needs to be put to an end, and also people really needs to realize how foolish and waste of time it is. I like this text because although I'm not sure if it's based on a true story, it has so much emotion and meaning behind it. I 100% agree with the author on this text because many times does this happen to young teenagers losing their lives way to early due to gang violence. The purpose of the text was to show young men and women that staying true to gangs can very much cost you your life because it can be that no one wants to be bothered with you or just because of the hatred of you being in a gang. It's important to know who you are and stay true to that and nothing less. In my opinion...show more content...

It teaches me not to follow others and not to be desperate to find a family of friends who will have my back and defend me as long as I join a gang. I do understand that there are people who don't have family who loves them so they look to join gangs to find that love from what they call a family. There was a quote that stuck out to me and it was "I'M ANDY" (–Evan Hunter) and that really meant a lot to me because he realized who he was and that the gang violence was nothing but foolishness and how quick he was wasting his life away. I learned that I don't ever want to be a bystander because in the text there was a couple who had seen Andy and did not reach out to thepolice or called 911 to try and save his desperate life but instead they walked away as if nothing happened. "Let's get out of here" (–Evan Hunter) I don't ever want to be that person I want to be able to help someone like Andy who was desperate for change and knew he wanted it. The text addresses so many things that has happened to people in real life and I just was amazed by how true it really is. What I can praise about the text is that I really value the honesty and the emotion that was put into it because the author did not hold back the truth and how much gang violence can affect your life or someone

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