My Name Is Not Osama and in the Sidewalk Bleeding

2007 Exam Question

4. Describe an important idea in EACH text.

Explain how you were shown this idea was important in EACH text.

‘My Name is Osama’ and ‘On the Sidewalk Bleeding’

Introduction- (You must mention both text and authors here)

    • TAGL: Title, Author, Genre, Link back to Question

In the short stories “My Name is Osama’ by Sharfia Alkhateed and “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” by Evan Hunter, an important idea that both short stories portray was the theme of stereotyping. The writer shows this main idea by having the characters experiencing what it is like to be stereotyped and the consequences of it.

Paragraph 1: Osama

P-   The main idea for ‘My name is Osama’ is the idea of stereotyping—Explain what it is
E- Explain how characters treat Osama
  - Describe main character; Osama was a Muslims and was stereotyped after September 911
  - Consequences of being stereotyped- Mr Allen

E- Todd says “Is that dynamite under your shirt?”
Mr Baley (hall monitor) “The checked my locker for weapons”
Mr Allen-

L- One sentence to summarize your paragraph

Paragraph 3: Sidewalk Bleeding
P- Stereotype Andy as gang member

E- Explain how others treat Andy
  - Why wont anyone help him?
- How does others see Andy
  - Treatment from Cop
- Who did he want to be in the end?

E- Cop ‘Just a Royal’
  -
  -
L- this shows how through stereotyping, leads to people not seeing Andy has a whole person but as a negative gang member. Consequently, people do not help him and he dies.

Conclusion

Both of these short stories “My Name is Osama” and “ On the Sidewalk Bleeding” show how people are stereotyped in a society. Osama is stereotyped as a terrorist because of his Muslim religion after the September 11th attack in America. Andy was stereotyped as just a gang member but the reader learns that he has a good heart and consequently because of this stereotype on Andy, nobody helped him leading him bleeding to his death.   Both stories...