We often find ourselves profoundly affected by what happens to people we’ve never met. You may remember where you were and how you reacted to the death of Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston, for example. In “Tupac and My Non-thug Life,” Desmond-Harris captures the emotional connection between a teen and her slain idol, showing us not only how Tupac’s death affected her then but what she thinks of her teenage self’s obsession now that she is older.
Recall a time when the emotional impact of an event that happened to someone else (or to other people) was powerful enough to affect your behavior, decisions, or actions for the day or longer. Consider the reasons for your reactions. Your instructor may ask you to post your thoughts to a class discussion board or blog, or to discuss them with other students in class. Use these questions to get started: