Category 1: Cornered

         While reading this short story, all I could think about was the Before You Read section. Their were questions like, Do stereotypes sneak up on you despite your best intentions and, Do some groups suffer from stereotypes more than others? I just thought the usual stereotypes of groups like sororities and fraternities. Many are thought of as the pretty girls and the jock guys, but in reality, it is not like that. In the story, the narrator has a gut feeling as he walks into downtown Atlanta. He thinks horrible thought of what could happen to him as he walks a few blocks down the street. His stomach is in knots and he thinks of all the bad things that could happen. The narrator does eventually take this trip down the street and runs into a sketchy character. He thinks he is going to be robbed of his money, but that is not the case. The man is really a church brother just asking for a donation for a cup of coffee. The lesion that I have learned from this is to never grudge a person by what they look like. Also, not all stereotypes are anywhere close to being true. In the story, the narrator figured out this life lesson.