Rhetorical Situation

Nafisha Yesmin

Text: The text is about a young man who soon becomes a serial killer. Mainly, it explains the way his mother, Pamela Vorhees feels because she was the one who experienced the first hand pain of the death of her son. Many times throughout the film the background noises are Jason’s mother commanding him what to do because of the telepathic senses they gained from each other.

Author: The creator of Friday the 13th was Sean S. Cunningham. He created this story in order to prove that his franchise of Jason Vorhees would make it far enough to not only be known for one movie but for all 8 of them including the TV series and books. Sean was known for his wide range of horror films that started in the 1970s. He had graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and then soon got his MFA degree at Stanford College. His productions studio was called Crystal Lake Productions, which was the name of the main camp.

Audience: This films intended audience is younger adults and horror enthusiasts. While the majority of the movies for Friday the 13th was rated R due to the nudity and gruesome kills, there was only one movie that was rated pg-13 because nothing was really shown when it came to scenes involving sex and murder. Now, after over 40 years have passed, a video game had been created in which the teenage crowd is mostly engaged.

Purposes: The purpose of Friday the 13th according to the author is to frighten the audience and also teach them a lesson. The main story behind the movie was about a boy who was bullied and ended up “dying” when falling into the lake. Soon Jason was brought back to life and started to kill the campers that went to crystal lake. This shows us that even if something happens from before, the effects of it can impact people later on in life.

Setting: The story takes place in Crystal Lake, a summer camp in New Jersey. The setting is very significant because when people think about summer camp they associate it with being joyful and fun. But, here, that’s the last thing that comes to mind. Overall, the way the camp is depicted throughout the story is very gloomy and readers and/or viewers of the movie can automatically feel the tension that’s created.

Ever since I was a child , my parents have always told me to give back to others and help those in need. The first time I noticed that helping those in need on a regular basis was something I needed to follow was when I went through both a wonderful and heartbreaking situation at the age of 6. There’s this idea that people in need shouldn’t always get things handed to them because they are the reason they’re in that place. But many times, life does get hard and it’s not always easy to get through; especially for children who grow up into a family that doesn’t have much to give to them. My purpose for this is to explain the time in my life where I experienced the need to help people and explain why it’s necessary to at least give back to the community in some type of beneficial way.

      In 2007, my parents had taken my brother and I to Bangladesh to visit family and just the country itself. Something my brother and I didn’t know was that we were going to go visit a village far off the capital of Dhaka, where they have a shelter for kids and adults who are disabled and living in poverty. At first, I was very nervous because I didn’t know what to expect, I was only six but till this day I remember everything from this journey. There are over 165 million people living in Bangladesh, and the poverty rates have been increasing significantly. As of right now Bangladesh has had an 8% increase and 36.5% of the population is under the poverty line ( httpd://www.adb.org). We took a 5 hour boat ride to get to this village and the first thing I remember seeing was two little kids with decapitated arms sitting at the dock. As a six year old, I was terrified from what I saw and I wanted to leave right away. As my family and I entered the shelter, i was in utter shock from seeing how many kids were there with serious injuries and health problems. There was also a great amount of adults who were sick and unable to handle themselves. We spoke to the leader of the shelter and they spoke about how majority of the people here were homeless and neglected on the streets. While I was still frightened from what I was seeing, after a while I started to realize that there was truly nothing to be scared of. We started off at the children’s area, where we had brought many snacks and toys to provide for them. The one person I will never forget was a boy who was my age at the time, who had no arms. He showed me how he used his feet to eat and how even though he had gotten used to using his feet to do things, at times it was very hard for him to do basic things like showering and playing around with his friends. I had fed many kids with the same type of situation food and drinks, while also providing them with things such as toys, school supplies, etc. The feeling of being able to help someone even if it’s in the smallest way possible made me feel such an amazing energy. You often don’t see a six year old giving money to the homeless or someone in need, but at that point, I was a six year old who did that. Even though this is something i went through over 12 years ago, its something I keep close to my heart. Experiencing this was life changing because since that day my main goal was to always help others no matter if it was in a big way or small way.

     Concluding, this was one of the most eye opening experiences I ever had in my life. I’m grateful for experiencing this at a young age because it allowed me to help others starting young. Till this day no matter what it comes down to, I always find a way to help people in need. Even if it comes down to just giving them a granola bar that’s in my bag or giving them some spare change that I found, helping people has become apart of my life.

     “I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background.” These words by Zora Neale Hurston encompass the experiences of people of color all throughout history. Claudia Rankine is a writer who adds to the conversation centered around black and brown bodies. The policing of black and brown bodies are evident within American history and are ever present in society today. One may argue that it is a constant struggle to be a person of color in American society. How is it possible for one to struggle to be themselves? The answer is simple: you are most aware of yourself when you’re attacked by someone who does not understand your being. By analyzing Claudia Rankine’s American lyric called Citizen, I will show how race, prejudice, and privilege play into the lived experiences that people of color go through just to live in American society and be themselves.

     Citizen by Claudia Rankine goes in depth about how racism and white privilege is common in the everyday lives of American people and celebrities. She pointedly uses anecdotes, poetry and images to highlight how microaggressions steeped in racism are visible in the 21st century. The following essay will highlight racism through the experiences of Serena Williams, Zinedine Zadine and Trayvon Martin. Citizen is a collection of experiences showing the presence of prejudice and racism. Rankine examines how these individuals and the collective react to these experiences.

     Serena Williams, a world-renowned tennis champion, has suffered from countless microaggressions by opponents, umpires and the media alike. Mariana Alves made excessive bad calls against Williams in a U.S. Open match. In later years, another umpire cost Williams the U.S. Open title due to unfairness and forced her to speak up for herself. Her defense caused her to pay a $82,500 fine. Williams was even the pun of an extremely tasteless impersonation of herself by former opponent Dane Caroline Wozniak. Over the years that these events take place, Williams’ reactions change. She learns how to control her emotions and respond to these events in a way that society deems fit. Jokes about her body and commentary on her reactions to these incidents paint a bigger picture of how black women are viewed within society. 

     Furthermore, Rankine showcases the blatant racism that soccer player Zinedine Zidane experiences during an important World Cup soccer game. Zidane was called numerous racial slurs that affected the course of his professional career. “Big Algerian s***, dirty terrorist” were the words that led up to the end of his career. Through Rankine’s use of images, you can see two soccer players making physical contact. Zidane headbutted his opponent in response to his words. Rankine incorporates lines from famous figures like William Shakespeare, James Baldwin, Franz Fanon and Ralph Ellison. Rankine’s unique way of presenting this story touches on identity: how we choose to define ourselves and how others perceive us. This unfortunate event led to drastic consequences for Zidane. He was not proud of his actions after the fact; however, he remained proud of who he was and where he came from. 

     Furthermore, the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin inspired many protests and shed light on the racial violence black and brown bodies endure. In the first few sentences of the script, Rankine highlights how the “brothers” are viewed as bad or notorious. She claims they are imprisoned but not in prison. The justice system is not made for black people and clearly, American society has never been either. She highlights the struggles of African Americans through her brief account of history. In this part of the book, she shares scripts from situation videos with John Lucas, including Hurricane Katrina and Stop and Frisk. These narratives leave one to question if black and brown bodies are even valued within society. From senseless killings to random searches of the African American body, Rankine suggest that although people of color are of this society, their being does not truly matter.

     In the last part of the book, Rankine tells a story of a woman parking her car in front of her. After locking eyes, the lady backed out and proceeded to park on the other side of the lot. She seems to be saying that as you go through life and experiences of racial injustice, you come to an understanding of what it means to live as a black person in America. Although your very being would like to challenge certain individuals, your life matters more. Even though the treatment is unacceptable or uncalled for, to be an upstanding citizen as a person of color, it is best to learn the art of letting go. The violence against African Americans has been going on for years, and yet, African Americans learn to adapt and survive. This plays into the theme that it has never been about winning. It has always been about the person of color being treated with respect despite the common misconceptions society has made about black and brown people. 

     Moreover, when discussing the Self and Other, class, race and gender are a part of the conversation. How does one classify themselves without external factors influencing the perception of self? How does one classify themselves based on the world around them? These two important questions cause one to self-assess not only these qualities about themselves but also how society may play a role in their classification. Through the use of societal standards and how a person identifies by characteristics given at birth, Rankine suggest that the Self adapts to the Other. Even so, the Self may also challenge the Other or stand firm in it’s own right. 

     White privilege and ignorance are strewn all throughout Rankine’s lyric. For instance, Rankine states “sometimes your historical selves, her white self and your black self, or her black self and your white self, arrive with the full force of your American positioning.” In context, Rankine talks about a black and white friend’s racial differences when presented with misunderstandings that could alter the course of the friendship. This quote also correlates with what Serena Williams experienced in her professional career. Although she was extremely talented, Williams still did not fit into the world of tennis. This was a world filled with predominantly white faces before the sister duo, Venus and Serena Williams, entered and dominated the courts. Franz Fanon is quoted saying, “You can’t get away from nature?” Zidane was a prime example of this when he physically assaulted his opponent for using racial slurs. Instead of being a good sport and acknowledging Zidane’s skills on the field, his opponent verbally assaulted Zidane by spewing hateful language in a fit of rage. This language was an attack on Zidane’s race and heritage. Lastly, Rankine states, “Perhaps this is how racism feels no matter the context – randomly the rules everyone else gets to play by no longer apply to you.” The story of Trayvon Martin is a tragic example of this. He was simply walking and enjoying a bag of skittles when his very presence caused another to fatally harm him. The themes presented within Citizen highlight racism, prejudice and outright wrongdoings to people of color. One’s “historical self” and their “self self”, as Rankine briefly states, is constantly changing and will sometimes be a product of American history. Due to these events, people of color have always had to fight for their identity. They have always had to challenge those who tried to tell them they did not belong.  Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane are prime examples of the Self who have fought to take ownership of their place within society against the Other. Trayvon Martin, however, did not even stand a chance.

     In short, Rankine’s Citizen holds endless accounts of mildly to extremely discriminatory actions by others to black and brown people. A seemingly everyday occurrence of being mistaken for a person of the same race or experiencing feelings of acceptance because you have “white” features are two examples of this that Rankine speaks about. At its height, a citizen takes his own initiative to murder an African American teenager because he felt threatened. Throughout history, it is shown how people of color have struggled with being their true self regardless of race, gender, ethnicity and social class. When one is faced with a consistent stream of attacks on their person, similar to Serena Williams’ case, they are faced with two options. Do I constantly fight for my identity to be respected or do I become flexible to the situation? Over time, Rankine argues that in these moments a person may experience a multitude of emotions in how to handle the verbal and physical attacks on one’s person. White privilege, racial injustice and prejudicial micro and macro aggression’s do not desensitize people of color. Zidane shows that people of color feel every emotion centered around their experience down to their very core. Zora Neale Hurston’s words do ring true; thus, Rankine’s Citizen is integral to the discussion about the importance of people of color who inhabit a society that has no interest in welcoming them with open arms. 

Rhetorical Situation Reflection Of Exploratory Essay

Text

The text is a fifteen hundred words, five  page essay that discusses the work of Claudia Rankine and what has been spoken about in both  FIQWS classes. The text goes into depth about the ideas of racism and microaggressions in the 21st century and how they still occur till this day. Even when it comes to your typical person that you see on the train, to celebrities such as Serena Williams and Barack Obama. This paper was typed up on a computer and sent out through a program that colleges use to keep students and teachers in touch.

Author

The author for this essay is an 18 year old female college student that attends city college. She is majoring in biology and isn’t very good with writing papers. But, she is surrounded by people who major in subjects that have to do with literature and that influences her to try and get better at writing more.

Audience

The audience for the paper is the two FIQWS teachers. One is a female teacher who teaches the writing component of the class, and the other is a male who teaches the reading component. Since the author of this paper isn’t the best at writing, she hopes to get a good response due to her hard work in trying to form a well developed essay.

Purposes

The purpose for this essay was to let the teachers see if the students are able to comprehend readings to a whole other level. Also, it was a mandatory essay that had to be done in order to receive a grade for the exploratory essay. The things that the author focused on in the essay were the main points made in the book; including examples of Serena Williams, Zinedine Zadine, and Trayvon Martin.

Setting

Since the author is focusing on both school and work the setting was spread throughout. Majority of the time the essay was written during the hour breaks she had at work, and on her way back home. The setting was very loud and chaotic since the break room is in the middle of everything and in a retail store in the middle of Times Square, there’s no such thing as peace and quiet. Every thought would be disrupted by a call for a shoe and that hour went by so quick that the train ride home would be the most precious time available.

Researched Critical Analysis Essay

     What is Self? What is Otherness? The Self is how we choose to define ourselves. The Other is how other people perceive us. You cannot have the Self without having the Other. Sometimes it is not in our control on how we define ourselves. For example, I was born Bengali; therefore, I am a brown person. I will be viewed in society as a Bengali woman. I know this because there are others within society who are different from me. I live a different experience from a black woman or a white man. These fundamental differences allow for a unique experience from others. It is through communication, ideas, and beliefs that we connect or disconnect with people who are different from us. External factors influence our perception of self. Other people do play a vital role in how we self-assess and how we choose to participate within society. By analyzing Chloe Bass’ Wayfinding, Yuri Herrera’s Signs Preceding the End of the World and Claudia Rankine’s Citizen, I will show how the idea of Self and Other play hand in hand. 

     Chloe Bass is a conceptual artist who addresses intimacy through her work. She seeks to highlight “the sudden sense of everything as fascinating, the strange anxiety between feeling invisible and suddenly becoming aware that you are seen.” This idea is clearly evident in her installation: Wayfinding. Wayfinding is an outdoor exhibit installation presented by The Studio Museum in Harlem. It is located at St. Nicholas Park between 128th street and 141st street. Her usage of signs and texts evoke emotion and self-reflection in a public setting. She asks questions like, “How much of love is attention?” and “How much of care is patience?” It is her intention to “encourage audiences, over time, to live differently – not in a grand sense, but simply and enduringly.” The way she has chosen to deliver this message is bold but it also leaves the passerby no choice but to ask themselves these questions upon seeing Bass’ signs. 

     Bass’ Wayfinding juxtaposes the idea of Self and Other through the quotes she pointedly expresses on the signs. One quote exclaims, “Every time I’ve nearly been killed I’ve survived it, but that doesn’t mean I’m out looking for more devastation in order to prove a point.” This quote enters into her theme of, “How much of life is coping?” Over the course of a lifetime, there is a possibility that you will endure some form of trauma. Trauma can have lasting effects if a person does not take care of themselves. If one does not have a support system while going through trauma, it causes them to garner support from within. They must rely on self instead of others. Even so, people have a tendency to romanticize trauma to show that they are resilient or tough. Although it may become a part of someone’s identity, trauma should not define them. Oftentimes, people use their trauma to connect with others or to show that they have an understanding of what another person is going through. 

     Additionally, Bass quotes, “I want to believe that desires can be different without being threatening.” Although Bass has this hope, one person may always feel threatened by the wishes of another. If a person chooses to live out loud, in spite of the ignorance of others, it could pose a threat to the structures of society. For instance, a person not limiting themselves to hetero normative views will have a challenging time living in a space where this is not the “norm”. This person would constantly battle others in their freedom of self-presentation. Living within a community that does not accept gender fluidity would be threatening to that person’s identity. Even if this person does not conform to the standards of others, they may still have positive interpersonal interactions. As a result, if these interactions are positive, it may continue to build interpersonal contentment. Desires can be different. They do not have to be threatening if the Self is strong enough to withstand judgment and preconceived notions of others. 

     Furthermore, Yuri Herrara is a Mexican writer whose book Signs Preceding the End of the World speaks of the Self and Other through Makina. Makina was given an assignment by her mother to bring her brother safely home. Makina meets with Mr. Aitch on her search for her brother. Mr. Aitch is described as an opportunist who “couldn’t see a mule without wanting a ride.” In her pursuit for her brother, she was made a messenger by Mr. Aitch in exchange for answers about finding her brother. Through new lands and interactions with others, Herrera details Makina’s journey to fulfill the task given to her. 

     Makina is an intelligent young woman who knows three languages: native, latin and anglo. Her job in the Village is to run the switchboard and connect people to those in her community. She is well-respected within the “Village” due to her ability to follow the rules. Those rules are:

You don’t lift other people’s petticoats.

You don’t stop to wonder about other people’s business.

You don’t decide which messages to deliver and which to let rot.

You are the door, not the one who walks through it. 

    She has a willingness to follow social order and ability to communicate with others based on their current experiences. She travels, carrying a Latin-Anglo dictionary, from the Village to the Little Town and Big Chilango. 

     The power of language is deeply embedded within Herrera’s Signs. Language, as a common theme, is a key component to the experiences that Makina has throughout her journey. Language not only connects Makina to the indigenous folk of her community but also to the people she meets along the way through their use of Latin and Anglo tongues. Herrara says, “They might be talking in perfect Latin tongue and without warning begin to talk in perfect Anglo tongue and keep it up like that…In it brims nostalgia for the land they left or never knew when they use the words with which they name objects; while actions are alluded to with an Anglo verb conjugated Latin-style, pinning on a sonorous tail from back there.” Makina strives to keep close ties with the language of her indigenous folk while being engulfed in environments that force her to step outside of herself. 

     Her interactions with others has allowed her to refine her code-switching skills. Back at the village, she works the switchboard with fervor to communicate with all. She especially is keen on communicating with those who still speak the native tongue. It seems that in her travels, the use of modern Latin and Anglo tongues is trying to compete or overpower that of the native tongue. For her, these changes are new. She identifies most with her native tongue but has learned that in order to connect with others she must welcome the new. One may hold fast to their core but identity is subject to change over time due to location, environment, or social interactions. In Makina’s case, it is all three. She has discovered a new way of interacting and participating in the world. 

     Makina ultimately found her brother. She barely recognized him until mid-conversation and it made her pause. He was no longer the brother that she knew. Due to feelings of shame and embarrassment, he found work instead of returning home. He sent Makina away. Shortly after her departure, she chanced upon a police officer mocking a man for reading. He aggressively asks the man to write for him. Makina, sensing the man’s fear, chooses to take ownership of the situation. She writes. She exclaims, “We are to blame for this destruction, we who don’t speak your tongue and don’t know how to keep quiet either…We who came to take your jobs, who dream of wiping your shit, who long to work all hours…We, the dark, the short, the greasy, the shifty, the fat, the anemic. We the barbarians.” 

     Moreover, through her use of language, she convinces the policeman to quit badgering the group of immigrants. She writes as if she is speaking from his point of view. After reading this aloud, the cop realized that she spoke his language. In Anglo tongue, Makina wrote the generalizations that others have of immigrants. The dumbfounded cop is a prime example of Other. Due to his position as a police officer, he tries to exert his power over them. Makina and the immigrants have their own lived experiences, dreams, hopes and desires. They look, speak and act differently than the cop. Makina showed him that his judgments of her and the immigrants were unfounded and made him see how it felt to have one’s identity attacked. Makina didn’t even wait for the praises after the cop left. She also walked away with her head held high and dignity intact. 

     Additionally, Claudia Rankine’s American Lyric Citizen speaks of the everyday experiences of American people and celebrities. She uses anecdotes about Serena Williams, Trayvon Martin and Zinedine Zadine to list a few. She shows how microaggressions are steeped in racism and change how these individuals choose to act in certain social settings. For instance, Serena Williams was targeted in many tournaments by her opponents, umpires and the media alike. This was in response to how she was being treated on the court. Serena is a prime example of black and brown bodies being policed. She endured false calls by umpires. She went through the media referring to her as an “angry black woman” for the way she chose to express her disbelief in the umpires. Due to the media coverage and how she has been treated over the years, Williams slowly altered the way that she acted in public. She learned how to control her emotions and respond to others in a way that was socially acceptable. Zidane was also attacked on the field for his being. His identity as an Algerian on the soccer field was threatening to the opponent. He thought it fit to call Zidane out of his name. In response Zidane reacted in a negative way that ultimately ruined his career. The story of Trayvon Martin simply highlights how the senseless killings of African Americans are becoming a normal part of society. This is in part due to the fact that black and brown bodies are still fighting for acceptance in this society. Over time, African Americans have learned how to let things go and adapt to how society interacts with black and brown bodies. 

     All three works by Chloe Bass, Yuri Herrera and Claudia Rankine highlight the individual in relation to the Other. They speak on the individual and leaves room for one to question their identity through interactions with the Other. Each work also showcases how the Self may threaten the Other. Bass questions whether one can truly reach their desires without being threatening. She implies that she wants to believe this is so; however, is it just wishful thinking? Herrera shows how Makina stood her ground with the cop who felt threatened by the presence of immigrants. Due to this, he harassed and bullied them. Lastly, Rankine shows how Serena Williams was harassed on the court due to her exceptional skills as an African American female athlete. This idea of the Self threatening the Other is strewn throughout all three works. The Other is only threatened because the Self does not fit into the social norms. All three writers inquire and push for the Self. Others feeling threatened by a person’s sense of self speaks more to their insecurities rather than the person they are targeting. These authors and writers seek acceptance by the Other so that the Self can thrive.

    On the other hand, the texts and installation slightly differ. The questions that Bass ask throughout Wayfinding are a little abstract. It is almost as if her piece is a form of performance art. This is a form of her acting as Self. It is very rare to see someone ask such vulnerable questions within an open or public setting. Artists are vulnerable but it is usually depicted through paintings or music. The installations themselves, in my opinion, challenge the Other to look within. Herrera shows us how a change in location, environment, people or cultures may cause us to lose ourselves or reinvent ourselves. At the end of the story, Makina was given a whole new identity. Although anxious at first, her fearlessness took over and she was ready to become whomever she needed to be. The common theme throughout Signs Preceding the End of the World was the use of language and preserving the Self while embracing new experiences. In Citizen, Rankine involves class, race and gender in the conversation. Rankine suggests that the Self adapts and challenges the Other to fight for the person’s place within society. Prejudicial micro and macro aggression’s may be prevalent within society; however, people of color have not turned a blind eye and continue to fight for their place within society.

     Chloe Bass, Yuri Herrera and Claudia Rankine all add to the discourse centered around the ideas of Self and Other. Society does play an integral role in how we view ourselves. What these writers are doing is making space for us to think about how much weight we will give these external factors in relation to self. Although the Self adapts to the Other, as seen in Signs Preceding the End of the World, the Self also challenges the Other to remain true to its core. Even so, Makina did accept the papers for a new life and a new identity. How much of ourselves do we really keep and how much do we let go based on what we experience in life? Do we really stay the same or are we constantly changing due to how we are “allowed” to participate in society? Bass shows that although we are all different, emotionally we are all the same. The principles of our experiences can be similar even if our lived experiences are not. Patience, care, and love are all things that humans experience in life. Based on the environments we live in, the family we are born into, the people we meet along the way, our experience with these emotions are all different. Citizen is important to the conversation as well because it examines how individuals and the collective interact with one another. The themes presented in Citizen show how people of color are treated and how they still choose to rise above. 

      In short, all three pieces of work make one question how we may classify ourselves based on the world around us. As mentioned before, there are certain things that we are unable to change, like our race or ethnicity. Other lifestyle choices may be structural or institutionalized. Even so, the Self can still choose to combat privilege, racism or marginalization. The Self can choose to educate others on their ignorance. The Self can be open to acceptance or the Self can just be even though there will always be someone out there who may not agree with their being.

Rhetorical Situation Reflection Critical Analysis Essay

Text

 

The text is a two thousand five hundred words, eight  page essay that discusses the work of Claudia Rankine, Yeri Herrera, and Chloe Bass. This essay’s main purpose was to show the similarities between the three authors and their work. This paper was typed up on a computer and sent out through a program that colleges use to keep students and teachers in touch. 

 

Author

 

The author for this essay is an 18 year old female college student that attends city college. She is majoring in biology and isn’t very good with writing papers. But, she is surrounded by people who major in subjects that have to do with literature and that influences her to try and get better at writing more. 

 

Audience

 

The audience for the paper is the two FIQWS teachers. One is a female teacher who teaches the writing component of the class, and the other is a male who teaches the reading component. Since the author of this paper isn’t the best at writing, she hopes to get a good response due to her hard work in trying to form a well developed essay. 

 

Purposes

 

The purpose for this essay was to let the teachers see if the students are able to comprehend readings to a whole other level. Also, it was a mandatory essay that had to be done in order to receive a grade for the exploratory essay. The things that the author focused on in the essay were the main points made in the middle of the course, which was the book Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yeri Herrera and Chloe Bass’ visuals that were put up at St. Nicholas Park. 

Setting

 

Since the author is focusing on both school and work the setting was spread throughout. Majority of the time the essay was written during the hour breaks she had at work, and on her way back home. The setting was very loud and chaotic since the break room is in the middle of everything and in a retail store in the middle of Times Square, there’s no such thing as peace and quiet. Every thought would be disrupted by a call for a shoe and that hour went by so quick that the train ride home would be the most precious time available.