Analyzing Shame Sentences

1. I never learned hate at home, or shame.” The type of sentence this is would not be in the SP sheet. The effect is a short, yet bold and rather to the point sentence ridiculing how society treats us. And I think that's exactly why the author chose to put this as he did, to show us how we aren't merely born with racism, shame, or discrimination; rather, we are taught these things.

2. “She’d walk down my street, and my brothers and sisters would yell, ‘Here comes Helene,” and I’d rub my tennis sneakers on the back of my pants and wish my hair wasn’t so nappy and the white folks’ shirt fit me better.” This sentence is a combination of SP4 and SP9. Here is where he shows some form of shame before he is truly shown it. his is minimal society shame, showing that because he is poor, and black, that he isn't good enough for the richer Helene Tucker. The author wrote this the way he did to show us how they react to people of a higher class than themselves. They treat her like royalty for being white and rich.

3. “And she had a daddy, and he had a good job. This is SP4. The effect is to show that he felt bad about having neither of those things, and it shows us once again that shame is only taught by example of others. Had everyone else had the same problem, there would be no reason for him to feel different. But for whatever reason, people see others in his situation as being shameful. Who decided what is and isn't shameful, anyway?

4. “The idiot’s seat, the troublemaker’s seat.” This would be a phrase. This is showing us what happens when someone is different, when they can't conform when they haven't been properly taught, and the teacher doesn't take the time to ask him why it is he doesn't know things, or why it is that he can't pay attention in class. This is used because the author wants us to see how ridiculous people can be when it comes to dealing with things they don't understand.

 5 sentences in shame using SP1

1. I had to go to school for that.
2. She was always clean and she was smart in school.
3. I think I went to school mostly to look at her.
4. By evening the ice melted to water for washing.
5.I'd drop money on her stoop late at night on my way back from shining shoes in the taverns.