"Shame" by Dick Gregory

The excerpt entitled "Shame" by means of Dick Gregory paints a correct photograph of the lifestyles of a typical black infant, and how his circle of relatives struggled just to continue to exist. Gregory remembers a time in his existence when he was in essential faculty and the primary time he felt "shame" in his existence. This changed into specifically painful for Gregory because Helene Tucker, the woman he favored, become gift whilst he changed into humiliated in front of the whole magnificence.

One may assume as a child Gregory never concept about the embarrassment of being in a remedy application and having to visit the "Worthy Boys Annual Christmas Dinner", put on the identical brown and orange mackinaw that many other black kids at the time needed to wear, or have a truck deliver meals to him rather than going to the marketplace because he didn't have the money, however after his teacher exposed the fact about his lack of a father in the front of his magnificence, and extra importantly Helene Tucker, the entire load of all of the shameful things in his life fell upon him. Gregory was ashamed of not having a dad and having to live in poverty. He desired to have the braveness to move up to Helene Tucker and ask her to head on a "date" (even though he turned into younger) and now not experience embarrassed of being black and residing on food determined in the dumpster.

There is much stuff Gregory had found out from his revel in as a toddler; the cruelest factor is the cruelty of being singled out because of being black. Most probably if Gregory was now not black then he would not be in a welfare application because his family could have been able to get a process easier and with higher pay. Gregory also discovered that he turned into being taken benefit of by way of his trainer (making him easy the blackboard) and that any more existence might no longer be clean, because of his race and due to the fact he should now understand all the shameful things in his existence.

In conclusion, "Shame" gives an excellent example of the hardships of growing up within the 1st 1/2 of the 20th century as a black toddler. It suggests the humiliation a black character went thru just because he is black or does no longer have a father. Lastly, it shows what one could find out about the cruelty of racism and how one would possibly appearance past the outside of someone and try to be aware of what they're feeling.

Theme And the Characters in The "Shame" by Dick Gregory

Shame is inevitable. It is something that everyone everywhere will encounter. The pathos short story “Shame” by esteemed author Dick Gregory emphasises the struggles, prejudice and discrimination held upon a black boy in a discoloured society. From a young age, Richard faces the stresses of poverty, constantly ridiculed and targeted because he stands out, indeed a victim of racism. Richard Gregory experiences the feeling of shame, which is highlighted in this story through the use of 3 instrumental characters: His teacher, his crush (Helene Tucker) and his father.

First and foremost, shame is showcased through his reaction to his teacher’s remarks of him. She deliberately disgraces him in front of his class and looks upon him with disdain. This is evident when the author writes: “I sat in the idiot’s seat and the teacher thought I was a troublemaker, Richard we know you don’t have a daddy; we are raising money for you and your kind” (Gregory 2). When we are children, adults’ opinions matter deeply to us. Without a parental figure, Richard looks to his teacher for approval. The predicament that occurs that day at school alters his original vision of his teacher negatively and helps him realize that she thinks less of him. It is clear that he begins to understand how others perceive him. Richard is severely shamed because his teacher tells and treats him like he is something to be ashamed of. She is so overbearing that she chooses to undermine and disregard all the talents he has to offer. Moreover, Richard encounters another type of shame when he is humiliated in front of Helene Tucker; a girl he cares about. This is especially painful because when talking about Helene, Gregory says: “Everyone’s got a Helene Tucker, a symbol of everything you want. That day, Helene Tucker turned around, her eyes full of tears, sorry for me. When I played the drums it was for Helene and when I stood on stage and heard applause, I wished Helene heard too” (Gregory 1).

Shame affects us when we realize that the people we care about feel sorry for us. In the story, it becomes apparent that Helene Tucker takes pity on Richard when she finds out that he does not have a father. Helene’s pity is agonizing because she represents everything that he wants. She is his only desire and symbolizes an intense motivation or a trophy. Richard is devastated, so he devotes parts of his life dedicating various key moments to her. Ultimately, the author brilliantly exhibits shame in this story as he connects it to the absence of Richard’s father in his life. It is believed that a child benefits greatly from a father figure as it helps the child grow to their fullest potential. His struggles are implied with the quotations: “I decided I was going to save my money from shining shoes and buy a daddy right then. No time for jokes, Richard. The world heard the teacher say– we all know you don’t have a daddy” (Gregory 1). A childhood without a father bestowed a negative toll on Richard’s self- respect, pride and dignity as revealed in this story. Society automatically categorizes him and judges him. He is downgraded and regarded as unavailing. This shame impacts how he views himself. Richard suffers due to an issue out of his control but still makes him feel like he is missing a pivotal piece in his life.

In the end, Richard Gregory’s battle with shame causes him to question everything he does, including his everyday routines. He begins to regret and feel shame while doing regular actions like washing his clothes with ice or begging for leftovers from Mister Ben’s. It is clear that shame acts like a cankerworm eating into the fabrics of his life. The author’s message of shame is showcased in this story through the use of Richard’s teacher, Helene Tucker and his father.