The excerpt titled “Shame” by Dick Gregory paints a fair picture of the lifestyle of a typical black child and how his circle of relatives struggled to continue to exist. Gregory remembers a time in his life when he was in the prime of his faculties and the first time he felt "shame" in his life This was especially painful for Gregory because Helene Tucker, the woman he loved, became a gift while he did felt humiliated in front of the public. all magnificence. Say no to plagiarism Get a custom essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned" It can be assumed that as a child Gregory never thought about the. embarrassment of being in a treatment request and having to visit the “Worty Boys Annual Christmas Dinner,” wearing the same brown and orange raincoat that many other black boys of the time had to wear, or having their meals delivered by a truck. instead of going to the market because he didn't have money, but after his teacher revealed the fact of his fatherlessness in front of his beauty, and especially Helene Tucker, the whole load of all the shameful things in his life fell about him. Gregory was ashamed of not having a father and having to live in poverty. He wanted to have the courage to approach Helene Tucker and ask her to go on a "date" (even though he had gotten younger) and not be embarrassed about being black and living off dumpster food. There is much that Gregory had discovered while having fun as a child; the cruelest factor is the cruelty of being singled out for being black. Most likely if Gregory had not been black, he would not have applied for welfare because his family could have gotten an easier process and higher pay. Gregory also discovered that he was taken advantage of by his trainer (making it easy on the board) and that another existence might not have been cleaner, because of his race and because he should now understand all the shameful things of his existence. In conclusion, “Shame” provides an excellent example of the difficulties of growing up in the first half of the 20th century as a black child. It suggests the humiliation that a black character has suffered just because he is black or no longer has a father. Finally, it shows what one might discover about the cruelty of racism and how one might look beyond someone's exterior and try to be aware of what they feel. Theme and characters of "Shame" by Dick GregoryShame is inevitable. It's something everyone will encounter everywhere. The pathos-filled tale “Shame” by esteemed author Dick Gregory emphasizes the struggles, prejudices and discrimination that weigh on a black boy in a faded society. From a young age, Richard faces the stress of poverty, constantly ridiculed and targeted for standing out, indeed a victim of racism. Richard Gregory experiences the feeling of shame, which is highlighted in this story through the use of 3 instrumental characters: his teacher, his crush (Helene Tucker), and his father. First, shame is shown through his reaction to his teacher's remarks about him. She deliberately disgraces him in front of her class and looks at him with contempt. 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 men” (Gregory 2). When we are children, the opinions of adults are very important to us. Without a parental figure, Richard seeks approval from his teacher. The difficult situation that occurs that day at school negatively alters his original vision.