Fear and Isolation

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Fear and Isolation
In a world that has thousands of different societies as well as economic, political and religious differences to match, there are social problems and different people interpret them differently. Fearful responses to the social problems have had fundamental implications on society and how some of the people are treated. Much of these predicaments lead to isolation of the said individuals and societies relative to the misunderstanding among many people. Some of the world renowned writers have captured the essence of the fear and isolation that experienced in some of the communities with precise clarity and objectivity.
‘Black Men and Public Space’ is an article written by Brent Staples and relates to the fear and isolation within the society with close reference to the black population. Over the years the black people have been treated with disdain within the society, where they are taken to lesser importance and associated with crime. Staples, as one of the black people living in a community that is predominantly white, reveals his own experience in the public spaces. In the society, the black population is portrayed as violent and criminal in nature. As such most of the black population is associated with murder, rape, violence and theft among other vile in the society (Weidner). These are racial tendencies that are predominant in most societies and tend to paint the black community as one that should be avoided at all costs. As such, majority of the rest of the races, especially the white, treat the blacks with fear. This is due to the fact that the blacks are labeled dangerous to the rest of the community. With reference to this kind of treatment, relative to the fear that the society accords the blacks, the later have to live in isolation. It is stressful to live in a community where everyone understands that you are a criminal and could easily cause harm to them. Most people will not want to be associated with blacks or cross paths. At the beginning of his article, the writer mentions, ‘my first victim’ (Weidner). Although he is wrongly branded as a criminal, he draws on this irony and relates to the audience one of his ordeals as a young man, when he scared off a young lady who thought she would be mugged, raped or worse. The lady ran off at the site of a black man following her, underlining the kind of treatment that the blacks faced in the society and the level of isolation they had to deal with (Weidner).
Another writer that captures the theme of isolation and fear is Jay Griffiths, in her article titled; ‘The Tips of Your Fingers.’ Griffiths brings out some very intriguing information in relation to the way fear breeds misunderstandings and isolation within the society. The writer starts off her art...