Mandirect Characterization In Shame By Dick Gregory

In "Shame" Dick Gregory uses indirect characterization to show that being yourself and changing yourself for someone else is a lot more traumatic than it seems. In the narrative Gregory is a young boy at the time who has a crush on a young girl named Helene Tucker. Throughout the story Gregory does a series of actions to look good in front of Helene Tucker. Growing up poor “there was no water in the house, but I washed my socks and shirt every night” Gregory struggled everyday to get clean clothes to impress Helene Tucker.
Through the beginning of the narrative Gregory states “I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that. Showing as young boy, only seven years of age , and fatherless it has never occurred shameful to him. It took the teacher to confront him about having no father in front of the class, even worse his crush Helene Tucker to realize the shame that consumed him. “It seemed like the whole world had been inside that classroom, everyone had heard what the teacher said, everyone had turned around and felt sorry for me” …show more content…
Helene in a way was Gregory’s motivation to get him to realize he deserves better and that he should stop at nothing to achieve those who pitied him in the classroom including Helene Tucker. He expresses “She felt sorry for me” Knowing that Helene didn’t think highly of him traumatically affected the way of thought of himself. He spent a part of his life dedicating great moments to her, to show he was something not be ashamed of but something to be proud of. He states “when I played the drums in high school it was for Helene, when I broke track records in college, it was for Helene. He uses repetition to show the impact that Helene truly had on his life. Gregory ironically learned shame in the place where learning is encouraged. When we are children, adults opinions matter us and everything they say we