Essay Questions

What different points of view are presented in the first story?

In the first story, the narrator talks about a man named Francis Barber whose master, Dr. Samuel, died. Francis’s master loved him and considered him to be an important person and respected him. The narrator presents the social ideas that existed in that time and the way many people perceived black people. Dr. Samuel thought that no race was inferior or superior and thus he did not agree with the idea that black men were natural born slaves. Because of this, he treated Francis with respect and as a human being. Other people disagreed with this idea and the narrator even mentions how some people who were close friends with the late Dr. Samuel resented him because he gave Francis the respect and advantages many did considered as being appropriate for a black person.

Who were the main characters in the second story?

The second story is about the fight between two important black fighters, the English Turpin and the American Ray Robinson. Both were exceptional fighters, Ray having a lot of experience in the fighting world and having won already a large number of awards. The fight took place in 1951. At that time, Turpin had been fighting for only six years but was already known in Europe. Ray had a career in boxing for 11 years and was known worldwide because of his talent. Despite having more experience than Turnip, Ray lost the match in 1951 but won the next match against him three months later. In many ways, the stories of the two black boxers are extremely similar. Both of them were famous and were talented but unfortunately they did not take care of their money. Because of this, just before their death, both fighters had almost no money and no glory.

How were the black community treated by the police in the middle of the 20th century?

In the past, the black people were enslaved and used as slaves in many households in Europe and America. Starting the 20th century, many nations tried and succeeded in abolishing slavery but the racist ideas prevalent until then continued to exist. Racist laws were created to keep the black and the whites separated from one another and separate establishments were created for them. The blacks were no longer slaves but were still not considered equal to the white population. Many black people tried to break free and find equality but unfortunately the police was used as a way of suppressing them even more. Police brutality was common during the 20th century and the black community was often brutalized by them, more than often without doing anything wrong. These practices happened both in Europe and in America and as a result countless black lives were lost. The police brutality is also described in the third story, when the narrator presents an African immigrant named David who despite behaving like a law abiding citizen, was often beaten by the police.