A Child By Tiger

Oftentimes, in a literary work, a write presents a character who seeks life’s meanings in his search for the truth. In the story, “A Child by Tiger”, the main character, Dick Prosser, becomes engulfed in an ongoing battle between himself and society. However, on idea is certain—when man is pushed to his extreme, his evil innocence is revealed. Dick Prosser is an African American man trapped in a racist, oppressive society. The society consists of two types of people: the people like the Shepperto

ns, Hugh McNair, and Will Hendershot who, someday, wish to abolish "lynch law", and people like the drunken sot Lon Everett, who embody the idea of white supremacy. However, Prosser"tms actions are not only the embodiment of what happens when a man reaches his limit, but also what happens when a man"tms spirit is perverted by the cruel, harsh actions of society. Fundamentally, to the reader, Prosser is the "child", as stated in the title; an innocent, untainted, kindred soul, that is incapable of doing any harm to any other being. This society, as a whole, is what shapes the identity of Dick Prosser. Everett, inebriated and disorderly, blamed Prosser for the collision and then begins to pound him to a bloody pulp. Shepperton, Lon Everett manages to collide into Prosser. This overall suppression of Prosser is what causes "the eyes to go red". If Prosser weren"tmt in the story, the reader would never recognize the true essence of it as a whole. One day, when Prosser is driving Mr. To the children, Prosser is an all-around perfect guy: he can throw a football, sing in tune, and kick a prestigious punt. At first, the author depicts Prosser as a kind, African-American do-gooder who works for the Sheppertons. His identity is displayed through the title. Therefore, Prosser"tms suppressive treatment shows the other, tiger side of his identity in the form of a homicidal rampage. However, the other half of Prosser"tms identity is the tiger.