Inequality & Discrimination
This is my own original short story.
Luke Nguyen; 2019
The soothing rain falls reassuringly on the steel roof as the warm glow from the fireplace calms me, but I constantly question the quality of my workmanship, wondering if it is good enough. Rainfall once haunted me when I resided in the hulks, the unhygienic and disease-ridden place I used to call home. We sat afloat the Thames, my companions dying around me, and I had longed for the smell of fresh air, the sound of the birds chirping, not the smell and taste death. I often contemplated the pettiness of the crime for which I had been sentenced and all those minor misdemeanors for which I was not punished, but there I was, incarcerated for the most benign of crimes, threatened with transportation to another country, my punishment far outweighed my crime. What kind of justice was this?
I was stealthily walking around a crowded marketplace, scouting out potential victims I to thieve from. I was shoe-less and my shirt was a mangled piece of cloth, dangling loosely from my shoulder, and in hindsight, it simply reflected my desperation. The sound of a closing door drew my attention to a bench that the baker was cooling his bread on, and a perfect opportunity for my light fingers. He left out a piping hot fresh loaf of bread, which I eagerly approached. The crowd would suffice as a distraction, and I had no difficulty innocently retrieving the bread and blending in with the crowd.
As I walked away, my attention was drawn to the butcher’s table, where a succulent leg of mutton glistened in the sun and did not notice the approaching policeman and cannoned right into him, raising his ire. I tried my best to be as natural as possible, but my shaking hand and the droplets of sweat on my forehead was revealing the truth. He questioned me, ‘And what are you up to?’ My mouth hung wide open, my brain unable to provide a suitable answer, all I could muster was a simple yet suspicious ‘nothing’. He looked at me with piercing eyes, like a parent’s knowing stare, unable to decide whether or not I was telling the truth. He looked at me, then to the bread, and at last, he astonishingly said ‘Can you afford to be shopping ‘round here?’ As he walked past me.
Buoyed by my good fortune, I decided to test my luck even further. My family craved some meat and my thoughts quickly returned to the mutton. I knew this would be a meal to remember.
The butcher had an athletic build, and carried a sharp knife with him, one wrong move and I could lose my arm along with my liberty, I needed a diversion. I spotted a dog and knew this was my only option, I grabbed hold of the dog, and guided it in the direction of one of the butcher’s two tables. The dog leaped onto one of the tables, taking a firm bite into the meat, angering the butcher, his eyes darted from side to side, looking for the owner of the dog, but with no success. As he screamed and cursed at the dog, I made my move, walking inconspicuously towards my target, glancing behind my back regularly. The butcher went to shove the dog off the table, it was time for me to make my move. A crowd had gathered, everyone looking to exploit the occupied butcher, women were sifting through the meat, while I grabbed the biggest piece and sprinted away.
My joy was short-lived, as two burly policemen approached, curious at the commotion in the market. My bedraggled appearance was highly suspicious, and I scrambled for the nearest alley and quickly found a hiding place. Their footsteps were getting closer, ‘I think he went in here’ said a voice, my heart was pounding and my whole body was trembling with fear. The footsteps got louder and louder, and I decided to bolt. I darted in the opposite direction, desperately looking for a side street to escape their clutches.
I hastily exited the alley breathing a sigh of relief, as I anxiously walked away, mutton in hand, the sound of fast approaching feet prompted me to sprint. I ignored the screams and warnings of the policemen, determined to escape. My luck had run out when a I felt a stinging pain in my calf, rendering me incapable of standing. I fell to the ground, mud splashing on my bleeding chest, as the leg of mutton rolled out of sight and into the drain. I crawled away from the policemen and I turned to see the two of them, exhausted by the pursuit.
They walked towards me, grinning triumphantly ‘And who do we have here?’ uttered one of them, ‘have we met before?’ I was terrified and didn’t bother answering, my demeanor changed instantly with the realization that my poor and desperate family were going to be hungry again tonight, I was quickly in handcuffs, and on the receiving end of a merciless beating with plenty of kicking and shoving.
This is what happens to the poor in Modern England, for having stolen goods to the value of a paltry five shillings, I was sentenced to transportation to Australia and had to endure the appalling conditions of the hulks prior to my departure.
I suffered this indignity only because I desperately tried to feed my starving family, the responsibility that I carried as a brother and a son, offering me no choice but to act in this unlawful way. Do the courts honestly believe that I would jeopardize my good name and my standing in the community for the sake of a piece of meat and a loaf of bread? Fellow men of good standing were forced to thieve to ensure their survival. I condemn the powers that be in this country for their harsh and uncompromising attack on the poor. Rather than support us they chose to penalize unjustly and there is much deserved ill feeling towards them.
Not only does the rain reassure me, but it is a timely reminder of my struggle and pride in what I have achieved.
WRITTEN EXPLANATION
The overall aim of my story was to expose the injustice that most of the poor in Great Britain around the 18th century experienced. One of my major objectives was to also show the desperation of my main character and his family. I tried my hardest with my word selection, using very emotional and mildly exaggerative words in order to fully establish certain emotions for my characters.
Using historical facts such as the conditions of 18th century prison cells, I used these facts along with a sense of responsibility for his family in order to develop a feeling of sympathy for my character. I also used the historical corruption of the English justice system in order to show the injustice that my character faces.
I also kept relating back to my character’s family in order to show his responsibility for his family and how he is very desperate to look after his family. I think my vivid description of his family’s situation was extremely useful in conveying a sense of sympathy for not only my main character but also for his needy family. I chose to be very descriptive with many of my scenes in order to clearly convey the mood that I was trying to set.
These scenes include; the attempted escape by my character, where I used lots of adjectives in order to convey a suspenseful moment in my story. I also specifically described the weather in the first scene to show to the loneliness and isolation that my character felt. I also shed light on the common view of the public towards the government in order to show corruption and injustice with those in power. Overall, I am very pleased with how my story turned out, and I look forward to sharing my story.
