Analysis of “I Became Her Target” by Rodger Wilkins Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The narrative selected for this analysis is, “I Became her Target” by Rodger Wilkins. The story is about Wilkins’s childhood experiences being the only black student in a white-dominated suburban school. Wilkins talks about his favorite teacher, Dorothy Bean, and how she helped him to change the perception of other students towards him. Additionally, the teacher helped the narrator by asking challenging and critical questions. Therefore, the essay shows the important role that a teacher plays in the lives of their students. As a newcomer, Roger Wilkins recounts his dark experiences when he was twelve years (Wilkins, 2022). As a new kid in the school, he was the subject of discrimination from his white neighbors and classmates. However, when he met Dorothy Bean, it marked a turning point in his life because she was the one who gave attention to this ignored child.

Roger Wilkins wrote this essay against the backdrop of discrimination that he suffered in his new school. He was narrating his history and the impact that it had on his formative years. The purpose of this article was to bring out the historical problem of racial discrimination that is rooted in American society. The audience of this story is policymakers, students, parents, and school administrators to take charge of their institutions. The clause that made me make an educated guess is, “on the morning after having read our first assignment, she asked me the first question. I later came to know that in Grand Rapids, she was viewed as a very liberal person who believed, among other things, that Negroes were equal” (Wilkins, 2022). The author was vivid and arranged the information in chronological order. He started with the first day he joined school, discrimination, how he met teacher Bean and how the perceptions of the students changed. His story is very similar to that of many black students in the country. The author chose the chronological organization to give readers the sequence of events as they happened in real time. The part that relate to my story is where he met a caring teacher because I was in a similar situation when I changed schools and fellow students mocked me.

Roger Wilkins story is that one of struggle and strife against all odds. As a black kid in an all-white school, he became the center of ridicule from both the teachers and the students. It shows that while the surrounding might be not welcoming, there is always someone who is supportive and manages to rise up and change people’s attitudes and perceptions.

Reference

Wilkins, R. (2022). I became her target. In J. Langan McGraw-Hill Education & L. Albright, College Writing Skills with Readings (11th ed., pp. 653–655). McGraw-Hill Education.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2023, August 19). Analysis of “I Became Her Target” by Rodger Wilkins. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-i-became-her-target-by-rodger-wilkins/

Work Cited

"Analysis of “I Became Her Target” by Rodger Wilkins." IvyPanda, 19 Aug. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-i-became-her-target-by-rodger-wilkins/.

References

IvyPanda. (2023) 'Analysis of “I Became Her Target” by Rodger Wilkins'. 19 August.

References

IvyPanda. 2023. "Analysis of “I Became Her Target” by Rodger Wilkins." August 19, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-i-became-her-target-by-rodger-wilkins/.

1. IvyPanda. "Analysis of “I Became Her Target” by Rodger Wilkins." August 19, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-i-became-her-target-by-rodger-wilkins/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Analysis of “I Became Her Target” by Rodger Wilkins." August 19, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/analysis-of-i-became-her-target-by-rodger-wilkins/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1