On the Sidewalk Bleeding by Evan Hunter is a short story about a boy named Andy. Andy was a 16 years old and had just been stabbed below the ribs. Andy was part of a gang called “The Royals”. He just stopped by the shop only to buy some cigarettes and the next moment he’s on the ground bleeding,“He had been stabbed 10 minutes ago. ” Andy had a girlfriend named Laura who he had left when he went to get the cigarettes and she was the only thing he could think of,“He wondered if Laura was dancing wondered if she had missed him yet. A few people had walked past Andy and as they noticed that he was wearing the ‘The Royals jacket’ they refused to help the bleeding teenager and just left him. Andy didn’t know joining a popular gang would lead to the end of his life. The theme of the story “On the Sidewalk, Bleeding” is identity. Andy is angry at everyone for not giving him a chance because of how people identify him. All anyone sees him as, is a member of the gang called the Royals. Andy wants to be known as Andy.
The target audience for this short story is around 13+ because I find its a bit too scary and depressing for anyone younger. The setting of this story takes place on a sidewalk outside an alley, late at night. The setting of the story is very gloomy. It is also raining, which, went with the alley and makes the story very spooky. In this story, the setting makes a huge difference on the book. The author tries to create a scary setting. The rain is the key to the story.
We can imagine Andy, lying on the ground with blood spilling out and its being washed away by the rain, witch is also imagery. Imagery is a technique that the author used to show Andy’s thoughts and feelings. “He had known excruciating pain when the knife had torn across his body,” “Bubbling of blood between his lips. ” This shows the reader that Andy is in a lot of pain because Andy is choking on his own blood that is being coughed up. I really enjoyed this story. It kept me interested throughout the whole thing.
I can somewhat relate to it as well. When I get in trouble with something, like a teacher in school, for example, I think about the good things I could have done rather than getting myself into this a situation. I think that’s what Andy was thinking to himself that night. He was thinking that if he had been walking around without a Royal jacket, he may not have been killed. The people that walk by decide not to help him because of the jacket he is wearing. In the end, this jacket cost him his life.
Same thing with me, I think to myself “what if I had done this instead? Then I wouldn’t be in this situation. ” You can really break down in a moment like this and think to yourself “I never wanted to be like this. I’m a good person! ” But just like Andy, many people make mistakes and get in trouble that they would rather not be in. I though that this book was amazing I enjoyed it a lot because i felt like i was actually in the story there with Laura watching lying on the side walk in the rain bleeding to death and there was nothing I could do.
I really don’t like that it was a very short story i wish they would have expanded the story into more detail about it because i think i would have enjoyed it even more. I find story is about what happens to people who think they are cool or tough because they belong to gangs. I think the story shows that their are consequences to your actions and that no one will care if you die as a gang member because people think you are bad and a problem in society.
