Casing Distractions: Erving Goffman's Dramaturgical Analysis

Sample

Barely a block past the beach in Ipanema, two American men were walking on the sidewalk. They passed several vendors, most of whom were selling leather goods. The middle-aged men walked slowly, perusing the products on the tables owned by the vendors. The Brazilians were trying to sell their wares, but to little avail to these Americans who spoke no Portuguese. The men’s hotel was only a few blocks away. The stroll was to relax, while peeking at the merchandise and the potential good deals on the sidewalk. After about two blocks, the men noticed that three adolescent boys were apparently following them. The boys were pointing at the shoes that one of the Americans was wearing. They were wingtips. The boys kept pointing, giggling, and laughing. The men kept looking back at the boys for about half a block. Then the boys surrounded the men, one took money from the pocket of one of the men, and the boys ran away. The middleaged men could never have caught the boys. It happened to be the Americans first day in Rio.