The excerpt entitled "Shame" by Dick Gregory paints an accurate picture of the lifestyle of a typical black child and how his family struggled to continue to exist. Gregory remembers a The first time in his life when he was in elementary school and the first time he felt "shame" in his life, it was particularly painful for Gregory because Helene Tucker, the woman he loved, had become a gift while he was humiliated in front of the public all the magnificence.Say no to plagiarismGet a custom essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned” Get an original essayWe can assume. that as a child, Gregory never thought about the embarrassment of being in a settlement and having to visit the "Worthy Boys' Annual Christmas Dinner", put on the same brown mackinaw and. orange that many other black children at the time had to wear, or have a truck deliver meals to him rather than going to the market because he didn't have the money, but after his teacher exposed the truth about her fatherlessness in front of his magnificence and, more importantly, Helen Tucker, the full weight of all the shameful things in her life fell on her. Gregory was ashamed of not having a father and having to live in poverty. He wanted to have the courage to approach Helene Tucker and ask her to go on a "date" (even though he was younger) and no longer feel embarrassed about being black and living of food found in the dumpster. stuff that Gregory had discovered during his childhood experience; the cruelest factor is the cruelty of being singled out for being black. Most likely, if Gregory was not black, he would not be on welfare, because his family could have gotten an easier process and with a higher salary. Gregory also discovered that he was being exploited by his trainer (making him easy on the board) and that any further existence might no longer be clean, because of his race and because he now has to understand all the shameful things in his existence . In conclusion, “Shame” provides an excellent example of the difficulties of growing up in the first half of the 20th century as a black toddler. This suggests the humiliation that a black character has suffered simply because he is black or no longer has a father. Finally, it shows what one might discover about the cruelty of racism and how one might possibly look past someone's exterior and try to be aware of how they feel. Theme and Characters of “Shame” by Dick GregoryShame is inevitable. This is something that everyone, everywhere will encounter. The pathetic short story “Shame” by esteemed author Dick Gregory focuses on the struggles, prejudice and discrimination suffered by a black boy in a faded society. From a young age, Richard faced the stress of poverty, constantly being ridiculed and targeted for standing out, and even the victim of racism. Richard Gregory experiences a sense of shame, which is highlighted in this story through the use of 3 instrumental characters: his teacher, his crush (Helene Tucker), and his father. Shame is above all highlighted through his reaction to his teacher's remarks. him. She deliberately disgraces him in front of her class and looks at him with disdain. This is evident when the author writes: “I sat in the idiot's seat and the teacher thought I was a troublemaker, Richard, we know you don't have a dad; we are raising funds for you and your fellow men” (Gregory 2). When we are children, the opinions of adults matter deeply to us. Without a parental figure, Richard looks to his teacher for approval. There.