The Chain Gang Show - Essay Example

Staples has used some very strong language to bring out his intended message. He does not beat around the bush when he wants to make a certain point. In his opening statement, he gives an example of how an animal’s survival instincts will make it chew off some part of its body in order to free itself. This alone gets the reader’s attention to what the writer is trying to say. He uses similes to show how brutal the chain gang practice is. For instance, in the first paragraph, he says: “Beaten and driven like maltreated beasts…” while referring to the way slaves were treated while chained together.

He also uses some vivid descriptions to further illustrate the cruelty of the chain gang practice. He says “…prisoners turned to self-mutilation tomake themselves useless for work. They slashed their bodies, broke their own legs, and crippled themselves by cutting their tendons.” He gives this description to show that chain gangs were so dehumanizing, the prisoners could go to any lengths to free themselves from this ordeal. One of the obstacles I think the writer faced in critical thinking was his bias and total abhorrence for the practice that he thinks is reminiscent of the slavery years.

he does not want to give the prison warders the benefit of doubt, so all he does is attack them as though they are the system that permits such practices in prisons. He has spoken nothing of the legislative bodies that made it legal to have gang chains in prisons. He should not have placed all the blame on Southern prison warders. The author’s bias is obviously with the prisoners who have to be chained when performing their menial work. He also makes it look like the chain gangs are meant for black prisoners only.

I do not think that when the practice was being reintroduced for the blacks only, it was for all prisoners. However, I agree with the author that there should be no reason for the prisoners in the south to be treated any differently from the prisoners in the north.Staples is a very articulate author; he knows his subject very well and has used simple language to convince the reader that chain gangs in prisons should be done away with. I agree with Staples on the matter of getting rid of the chain gangs once and for all.

I strongly support his opinion that this is a form of punishment that is as barbaric as public prosecution. However, I disagree with Staples that prisoners are normally forced into chain gangs. As has been said before, the prisoners themselves volunteer to be in the chains if and when they want their sentences to be lessened. However, whether they volunteer to be chain ganged or not, this should not be an option to gain recognition among prisoners. There are other things that they can do to enhance their chances of parole, but chain gangs should be out of the question.

I found it hard to reconcile with Staples’ attitude towards the south. He makes it sound like the Southern States are backward while the other states are more progressive. He even gives an example of a woman who says that she would like to go back to the old days of racial discrimination. This paints a bad picture of the South, being depicted as being racial, while it is a well-known fact there are many racists in the north as well. Generally, I liked Staples’ writing style and his convincing statements make all the difference in the article.