Equal Opportunity, written by Walter Mosely

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In this short story, Equal Opportunity, written by Walter Mosely, Socrates Furtlow, an ex-convict, faces the dilemma of getting a job. Socrates served 27 years in prison after killing two of his friends while drunken. Furtlow was now living life as a bumb who went around selling old bottles and cans to make a living. This story tells his struggle to find honorable work as a black man in society because of his background. He ended up lying on his application because he was afraid of what people might think. Although there was discrimination and disrespect not being completely honest with people may come back to haunt you later.

A 58 year-old man who hadn’t worked in 37 years would have a hard time finding a job as it is the fact that …show more content…
He then told her he had no phone and it would be better if they wrote to him, but she unwilling to help in any way explained that without a phone she could do no more for him. He begged for her to just send it in anyway and he would find a way to be in touch.
So for five consecutive days Socrates took three busses to the Bounty Supermarket to ask if they had heard from the head office. The woman started to worry and told Socrates again that because he hadn’t a phone he couldn’t work there and that he returned she would call the police. On the fifth day he showed up and two gentlemen from headquarters were there to speak with him. Socrates told his story and how he had been mistreated from day one and that he was told he couldn’t work if he didn’t have a phone. Socrates then explained that with no job he couldn’t afford a phone and with no phone he couldn’t get a job. That is probably the most adverse way of showing the meaning of “equal opportunity”. The two men explained why he would not be able to work at that location because Ms. Grimes was afraid of him, but that they may have a job in Santa Monica.
Lying on an application is a crime in itself. Socrates didn’t fill in one question on his application know if they knew what he was he wouldn’t have a chance at a job. The two men noticed the blank question and confronted Socrates. After all his talk about equal opportunity and the law, he lied and said it

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