“I Became Her Target” Journal

In the story, I think Roger Wilkins wants to tell the reader about racism and discrimination that he got when he was 12 years old as a black newcomer in his neighborhood and school, where most of his neighbors and friends are white. It can be said as an unpleasant situation for him like on paragraph four; he said that there were some of kids threw stones to him, chased him home when he was on foot and spat on his bike seat when he was in class. Maybe those problems were reflecting by racial discrimination which rooted in American society, “There is no doubt that every man was born equal”.
Mr. Wilkins thought that there was no equality in the society until he met Dorothy Bean or “Old dead-eye bean”. She meant a lot for the author. She helps the author to find his awareness that “There is no doubt that every man was born equal” existed. Required him to think, asked opinion and questions, she made many efforts to make the author look forward.
I think the word “Dead-eye” for Dorothy Bean means her sharp eyes which seen through the self excess of the author, so the author felt the humanity between him and Dorothy Bean, and also as the ice breaker of discrimination in the class.
The author also showed the conflicts between black and white in the story, between him, white society and Dorothy Bean. But, after all, it showed me the justice and comprehensiveness that both of them can live in harmony

by. Surya Pranata