Shame is inevitable. This is something that everyone, everywhere will encounter. The pathetic short story “Shame” by esteemed author Dick Gregory focuses on the struggles, prejudice and discrimination suffered by a black boy in a faded society. From a young age, Richard faced the stress of poverty, constantly being ridiculed and targeted for standing out, and even the victim of racism. Richard Gregory experiences a sense of shame, highlighted in this story through the use of 3 instrumental characters: his teacher, his crush (Helene Tucker), and his father. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay First and foremost, shame manifests itself through her reaction to her teacher's remarks about her. She deliberately disgraces him in front of her class and looks at 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 dad; we are raising funds for you and your fellow human beings.” When we are children, the opinions of adults matter deeply to us. Without a parental figure, Richard looks to his teacher for approval. The difficult situation that occurs that day at school negatively alters her original view of her teacher and helps her realize that she thinks less of him. It's clear that he's starting to understand how others perceive him. Richard is really ashamed because his teacher says so and treats him like he is ashamed. She is so controlling that she chooses to undermine and neglect every talent he has to offer. Additionally, Richard encounters a different type of shame when he is humiliated in front of Helene Tucker; a girl he cares about. This is particularly painful because when talking about Helen, Gregory says, “Everyone has a Helen Tucker, a symbol of everything you want. That day, Hélène Tucker turned around, her eyes full of tears, feeling sorry for me. When I played the drums, it was for Hélène and when I went on stage and heard applause, I wished that Hélène could hear it too.” Shame affects us when we realize that the people we care about feel sorry for us. In the story, it becomes clear that Helen Tucker pities Richard when she discovers that he has no father. Helene's pity is distressing because she represents everything he wants. She is his only desire and symbolizes intense motivation or a trophy. Richard is devastated, so he dedicates a part of his life by dedicating various key moments to her. Ultimately, the author brilliantly exposes the shame in this story by connecting it to the absence of Richard's father in his life. It is believed that a child benefits greatly from a father figure because he helps him develop his full potential. His struggles are implied in the quotes: "I decided to save my money on shining shoes and buy a daddy there and then." No time for jokes, Richard. The world heard the professor say: we all know you don’t have a dad.” A fatherless childhood took a toll on Richard's self-respect, pride, and dignity, as this story reveals. Society automatically categorizes him and judges him. It is decommissioned and considered useless. This shame impacts how he perceives himself. Richard is suffering because of a problem beyond his control, but still makes him feel like he's missing a crucial part of his life. Ultimately, Richard Gregory's struggle with shame leads him to question everything he does, including hisdaily routines. He begins to regret and feel shame when performing regular actions like washing his clothes with ice or begging for leftovers from Mister Ben's. It is clear that shame acts like an arch that eats away at the fabric of one's life. The author's message of shame is highlighted in this story through the use of Richard's teacher, Helene Tucker and his father. Shame is an adornment of the young: an indignity of the old.In “Shame” by Dick Gregory, he talks about his early childhood. Which took place in St. Louis in the 1930s. The story it tells teaches a lesson through its telling without ever stating what the lesson is. To teach this lesson, he uses rhetorical devices to explain whether shame is a learned behavior, and they also convey what shame feels like. The rhetorical devices he uses are repetition, imagery, and details. Gregory uses repetition in his story and uses repetition to explain his difficulties in dealing with shame. In paragraph 5 he states: “Pregnant people have weird taste. I was pregnant in poverty. Pregnant with dirt and smells that made people turn away. Pregnant with the cold and pregnant with shoes that were never bought for me. Pregnant with five other people in my bed and no dad in the other room. Pregnant with hunger. The repeated recourse to pregnancy highlights all of her difficulties growing up in poverty. By stating that he is pregnant, he shares his helplessness. He wanted to have an abortion. Not to get rid of your life but to have one that is worth it. Gregory could not live a better lifestyle or the one he hoped to have because of poverty. He couldn't be clean, have new shoes or a decent house. By using this repetition, it allowed Gregory to express his disgust towards his poor lifestyle. Dick Gregory directs the use of imagery towards his first love, Helene Tucker. In the first paragraph, Gregory describes her as “a fair-skinned little girl.” . .She was always clean and smart at school… . I loved him for his kindness, his cleanliness and his popularity. Gregory uses imagery to compare himself to Helen. He wasn't clean, smart, or popular like her. The differences between them show their economic status. Grégoire lived in poverty while Hélène lived in poverty. Shame is an adornment of the young: an indignity of the old. In “Shame” by Dick Gregory, he talks about his early childhood. Which took place in St. Louis in the 1930s. The story it tells teaches a lesson through its telling without ever stating what the lesson is. To teach this lesson, he uses rhetorical devices to explain whether shame is a learned behavior, and they also convey what shame feels like. The rhetorical devices he uses are repetition, imagery, and details. Gregory uses repetition in his story and uses repetition to explain his difficulties in dealing with shame. In paragraph 5 he states: “Pregnant people have weird taste. I was pregnant in poverty. Pregnant with dirt and smells that made people turn away. Pregnant with the cold and pregnant with shoes that were never bought for me. Pregnant with five other people in my bed and no dad in the other room. Pregnant with hunger. The repeated recourse to pregnancy highlights all of her difficulties linked to having to grow up in poverty. By stating that he is pregnant, he shares his helplessness. He wanted to have an abortion. Not to get rid of your life but to have one that is worth it. Gregory could not live a better lifestyle or the one he hoped to have because of poverty. He could not?