In the story Samuel, by Grace Payel, four African-American boys, named Alfred, Calvin, Samuel and Tom, were playing among the cars of a subway train. While the boys laughed at a woman who told them what they were doing was dangerous, an angry man pulled the emergency cord and Samuel was crushed and killed amidst the subway cars. Samuel's mother mourned the loss of her son and later had another son, but there could never be another Samuel. The men and women who could have saved Samuels' life did not do so because they were afraid, racially divided, and had the wrong mindset. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The story is told from an omniscient point of view, allowing the audience to hear the thoughts of men and women. When the public can read what everyone thinks, women seem to disapprove of the act more. One lady who wanted to interfere with what was going on "feared that they would be cheeky and laugh at her and embarrass her" (4). This lady could have taken this story down a different path if she had said something earlier. She was so afraid that these boys would embarrass her that she let her pride get in the way of keeping the boys safe. The racial barrier played a role in how this story ended. Among all the men and women, the audience mainly got to see one of the woman's thoughts specifically. In the story it was said that “one of the ladies wanted to stand up and say be careful, you stupid boys” (4) but she didn't say anything to the boys because “three of the boys were niggers” (4). This woman is intimidated by three boys, not because they are dangerous but simply because they are black. The racial barrier between these two groups of people is so divisive that adults will not even try to discipline them, even though it could potentially save these children's lives. Men could have had the most influence on these boys, but they did nothing. The two men remembered what it meant to them. The men thought “of some of the brave things they had done when they were boys and swinging didn't seem so risky” (3). They had a “boys will be boys” mentality and even knew that what they were doing was dangerous. Instead of doing something to help these kids avoid harm, they let that mindset stop them from doing anything. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, no one liked what the kids were doing, but no one said anything out of fear, race, and bad mentality. His fear of women controlled how he handled the situation. He was so afraid of how these kids would react to his attempt to warn them, just because of the color of their skin, that he waited until it was too late to say anything. The men who could have influenced these boys dismissed their dangerous behavior with a “boys will be boys” mentality. If one of the women or men had said something when he first noticed, Samuel could have gotten off that train alive.