On The Sidewalk Bleeding

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Lessons Learned about Theme and Life from the Short Story ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’. Sometimes, people gravitate towards themes that connect with their lives in one way or the other. In the brief yet evocative story “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” by Evan Hunter, the story is summed up in the theme of self-identity and stigmatization. It is a theme that goes beyond the confines of the narrative. It also makes us curious about the ways in which identities affect the relations one has with the world. In the push of the narrative, ‘On the sidewalk bleeding’ touches how the destiny of Andy, a young boy of the gang, culminates in him lying on the street, blood rushing out after a beating. Unfortunately, instead of portraying the strength of their normal emotions, on the pavement titles: ‘gang member’ and ‘hood’, evolve into almost naked brutality. Such a strong message touches the core of my inner self as it makes me understand the need to go beyond how people are stereotyped in the society. I have been a bystander where individuals are shaped by other people’s perceptions as to what dress they have, what group they belong to, or where their backgrounds come from. This insight changed the way I interact with people. I do my level best to appreciate the innate worth of people without considering how they look or dress. …show more content…

His tragic death is finally caused by being in a gang, showing us that our choices can define us to such an intense degree. One message that can be related to personal experience is how some choices lead to positive or negative results. For example, one day I decided to become a member of the volunteering group in my community. It made my life more interesting but also changed other people's attitude towards me--from a simple student to the leader of the

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