Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Haley Scholars (Group 1) Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "Friday Black"


[Haley Reading Groups Spring 2022] 

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "Friday Black" is an unlikely zombie tale. The story is about a salesperson's experiences and observations at a mall when people trample over each other as they rabidly struggle in trance-like states of consciousness to purchase goods on Black Friday.

The story presents brutal violence in vivid detail of customers rushing in and fighting for products. "Friday Black" offers a kind of dark humor. On the one hand, it's almost amusing that people would be this intense about Black Friday sales. On the other hand, it's a sad, disturbing commentary that things might get this bad.

What stood out to you more -- the disturbing details of the actual story OR the idea that something along these lines could happen in real life? Briefly (one or two sentences) explain why you made the choice that you did.

73 comments:

Samantha A. said...

The idea that something along these lines could happen in real life stood out the most to me. Many people have shopping obsessions that are so strong that they forget the value of someone's life or their own safety. Like in the story, someone would be will to seriously injury someone for a new products or willing to take a product from a dead body rather than call for help.

Samantha A.

Melanie Millsap said...

The more disturbing part for me was that I could actually see this happening in real life. Black Friday is one of those day where you can see people do things that they know are not acceptable in order to get the things they want. I see story of people fighting and even hurting children during black friday sales.

William Akpan said...

To me, the idea that something along these lines could happen in real life stood out to me more. While the details of this specific story were indeed disturbing, I think its easy for the reader to understand it is exaggerated, while also understanding how intense Black Friday is in real life, and worrying it could get as bad as the story.

-Will A.

Alexis S. said...

The disturbing details of the actual story stood out to me most because many individuals were killed over an item of clothing that would just help them fit in and gain status in society. The way the author described the Black Friday shoppers as animals who were growling and foaming at the mouth was also disturbing because it was as if they were in a trance over electronic items and clothing deals. Lastly, it was also disturbing the way the main character of the story was no longer phased by the shoppers behavior and felt accomplished by being able to sell the most items and understand their behavior.

- Alexis S.

Anonymous said...

I would say that both concepts disturb me.I have never experienced Black Friday shopping. But from what I see on TV and hear from people, I do not intend to do that. The description in the book is a bit exaggerated but truly represents the hunger and anger people display in real life during Black Friday.

-Geonel M.

Noah Phillips said...

I believe what truly stood out to me was that something like this is not very uncommon in society. There have been many news reports and even videos of people trampling over each other fighting to get the best deals for Black Friday. People who came to shop end up dying in the dense crowds of raving people. This story sheds light on the sheer gravity of consumerism present in our society. And, how we are so attached to good deals and ultimately materialistic things that we disregard the safety and well being of our neighbors.

Kiya R. said...

The aspect that stood out to me more in this story is definitely the disturbing details of the story. It is common for people to get aggressive during Black Friday in real life, and people have died from being trampled in stores as well, but I was shocked by how the employees were so nonchalant about people dying and killing each other. I was really shocked by the protocols that they followed, like sweeping dead bodies to corners without even checking to see if they were alive, and I do not believe that many employees would do something like that in real life.

LaTrina Brown said...

The fact that something like this could happen in real life is what stood out to me more. I am an obsessive online shopper and there are thousands of people that look forward to Black Friday every year, they fight over items and rush over people to get the best deals. It is sad how greedy people can get when there are deals involved.

Kayla Person said...

It was more disturbing to me that something like this could actually happen. I remember going Black Friday shopping when I was younger and that one experience was enough for me. People are so materialistic and crazy these days that it wouldn’t surprise me if something like this happened.

Ta'mya Cummings said...

The idea that something like this could happen in real life stood out to me the most. It sometimes seems unbelievable how people would act when it comes to Black Friday shopping. I do love to shop, but I feel like there should be boundaries set especially if it is to the extent that people can get hurt and potentially pass away.

Tamia Flowers said...

In my opinion, the fact that I could see this happening in real life made it even more disturbing to me. Black Friday is one of those days when you can see individuals doing things they know aren't right in order to obtain what they want. During Black Friday sales, I've witnessed instances of individuals acting out of control.

-Tamia F.

Mark S Lewis said...

I've seen so many Black Friday Massacres that only the imagery in the story affects me. The imagery of a small child bruised but with no emotion is haunting, to say the least.

Kelsey H said...

What stood out to me more would be the idea that something like this could happen in real life. I say this because Black Friday is already very hectic and chaotic. In times like this people don’t care about anybody else but themselves and wouldn’t care if they hurt them. I wouldn’t say this doesn’t already happen but it definitely does already exist just not as much as it does in the book. It will get worse more and more every year though because a lot of people cannot control there temper.

Paris S. said...

The instance of something similar happening in real life stood out to me. The story emphasizes how people may choose to go to dangerous lengths in order to gain status and materialistic objects, without having any consideration of other people's safety. Since Black Friday can be an intense event, there is a great chance of something similar happening in real life.

Josephine Kanyi said...

The idea that something along this lines could happen and has probably happened at a smaller scale is what stood out to me. I remember when I was in middle/ high school, videos of people fighting at stores during black Friday would flood my timeline, and because I didn't know better then, I would view them as simply nothing but entertainment but it is now extremely scary that we live in a world whereby someone would be willing to take your life over an item on sale.

Nijay Spellman said...

What stood out to me most about this story is that this could happen in real life. During Black Friday people are really crazy when it comes to getting deals on the latest fashions, however; I did find the story pretty amusing how dramatic the author made the customers be.

Taiye J said...

What stood out to me more is that this story can be close to real life. Every year many people go crazy over Black Friday, acting out in rage and aggression to get the best deals on items. It is disturbing that in the story, that dead bodies would just lay around and it was normal. On the same note, some people may actually die in real life due to Black Friday, although many people surely are injured during these events every year.

David Bankole said...

The aspect that stood out to me more in this story is definitely the disturbing details of the story. It is common for people to get aggressive during Black Friday in real life, and people have died from being trampled in stores as well, but I was shocked by how the employees were so nonchalant about people dying and killing each other. I was really shocked by the protocols that they followed, like sweeping dead bodies to corners without even checking to see if they were alive, and I do not believe that many employees would do something like that in real life.

SylveA’sha Radley said...

What stood out the most to me was the extent people would go for a sale. I’ve heard of people getting trampled over Black Friday shopping, but this is a whole new level. The story reminds me of the tv series Squid Games. These people are fighting to the finish, they don’t care who they hurt or who gets hurt their goal is to win the prize.

Daniel Allison said...

Just like in most of the other short stories included in this book, it's the real-life inspirations behind these stories that make them so uncomfortable. While the specific details are well written, they are exaggerated to the point where you can't really take them seriously. It's the idea that these stories are inspired by real-life events that make them stand out.

-Daniel Allison

Ebonie Byrd said...

What stood out to me the most was how realistic the story is described.Many time people go crazy with Black Friday shopping that causes tragedies. Therefore this story is not so much fiction but could also happen in reality.

Linda H. said...

The disturbing details of the actual story stood out to me more because I don't believe something like this would ever happen in real life. I just wonder what kind of rabies like disease they contracted to act this crazy over a sale.

Cheyenne Carpenter said...

The fact that something like this could happen in real life stood out to me more because stuff like this does happen during Black Friday so it isn’t something unusual. I don’t think it has gotten as intense like the author describes, but it is definitely something that could happen but I don’t think employees or the company would let it get as far as it did.

Anonymous said...

What is most disturbing to me is how much this parallels real life. I remember seeing stories of people getting trampled and seriously injured during Black Friday sales and it is hard to believe that people see more value in getting something $50 cheaper than a human life.

Fatima Bashir

Anonymous said...

The disturbing details of the story stood out most for me. I have heard of stories of how chaotic Black Friday shopping can get (people getting into fights and trampled). The fact that in this story people had high heeled shoes smashed in their faces, and a mother calling her husband and daughter "weak" because they died in the process was very disturbing for me.

-Jacqueline Smith

Walter Carroll said...

The thing that stood out to me most was the fact that this could and probably already has happened to some extent in real life. It is just so crazy to me the complete disregard for other people that some people have on their quest to purchase material things at a cheaper price.

-Walter Carroll

Chaianna Curry said...

The idea that something like this story could happen in real life is more disturbing to me. Every day I see crazy or violent news stories, that make me feel like our society is moving further and further from the basic moral codes of humanity. Black Friday shopping has been crazy in previous years, but hopefully the popularity of online shopping will prevent something like what happened in the story form becoming real life.
-Chai Curry

Zaria Hankins said...

The idea that something along these lines could happen in real life stood out to me more than the disturbing details of the actual story. In real life, people do get very violent and fixated on taking advantage of sales that they forget about safety, both theirs and others. People are killed all the time in real life over sales and discounts, and I feel like this story did a good job at showing how disturbing people can act in situations similar to Black Friday.

Jasmyne Rush said...

What stood out to me more was the fact that something along these lines would happen in real life. During Black Friday, stores are always crowded with anxious people who tend to try and be the first ones to get discounted products in their hands. I remember being at Wal-Mart two years ago during this time, not even to get a TV or electronic item but just to get a few last minute foods and it was chaotic then. People don't want to miss out on deals and would retaliate physically and verbally if they can't get what they want.

Alleson Huntspon said...

Both aspects we’re disturbing to me. I love to go Black Friday shopping and I’ve seen a lot a things while out Black Friday shopping so the descriptions here seemed somewhat exaggerated but still disturbing. I must say the fact that this stuff can happen in real life has to be the most disturbing. I do believe that each year Black Friday shopping gets worse so that’s probably the biggest concern for me. -Alleson Huntspon

Janielle F. said...

Something that stood out to me was the violence of the story. I LOVE shopping and going into stores and finding good deals. I think this story will be at the back of my mind whenever I go to a store on a busy day. With the way that our society is moving, I don't think that the violence in this story is super far-fetched and this is definitely something that could happen in real life.

Kalonji said...

What's most disturbing is the fact that the exaggerated events that happen in this story aren't really much of an exaggeration. In years past, I've definitely heard of people getting hurt and even killed due to the chaos of Black Friday. Personally, I'm not a fan of physically shopping for Black Friday due to the chaotic energy associated with it.

Phoenix Johnson said...

The fact that the details could happened in real life is disturbing. In my opinion humanity is getting more selfish and greedy by the day, so it would sad to violence that we have seen before on Black Friday amplified to the point in the book.

Phoenix Johnson said...

The fact that the details could happened in real life is disturbing. In my opinion humanity is getting more selfish and greedy by the day, so it would sad to violence that we have seen before on Black Friday amplified to the point in the book.

Breana B said...

One thing that stood out to me the most is that an event like this could really happen. Black Friday is huge here in America and people look forward to it every year. There's so many stories about people getting hurt and fighting over products. I can see something like this happening.

-Breana Buford

Tiana J said...

What stood out to me most is that something like this could happen in real life. Although the story is exaggerated, throughout the years we have seen time and time again customers rushing into stores at the same time fighting and trampling anyone in their path for sales that sometimes aren't all that great.
Tiana J

Kiarra Chark said...

What stood out most to me is the idea that something along these lines could happen in real life because I actually witnessed an incident on black Friday. A few years ago, on black Friday I saw a group of men attack someone who just had gotten a good deal on a flat-screen TV at Walmart. I've also witnessed people get trampled over when they mall as the mall was opening. I chose to talk about this because I think it's insane that people would act like that over material things. Lives cannot be replaced but shoes and TVs can.

Kiarra Chark

Kiarra Chark said...

What stood out most to me is the idea that something along these lines could happen in real life because I actually witnessed an incident on black Friday. A few years ago, on black Friday I saw a group of men attack someone who just had gotten a good deal on a flat-screen TV at Walmart. I've also witnessed people get trampled over when they mall as the mall was opening. I chose to talk about this because I think it's insane that people would act like that over material things. Lives cannot be replaced but shoes and TVs can.

Kiarra Chark

Kahleea Washington said...

The way this story reflects real life is the most disturbing element to me. Although, this story is exaggerated, it aligns with what we see during Black Friday. Low wage retail employees prepare themselves to deal with aggressive behavior caused by a sale. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah has a creative way of horrifying real life phenomena. We see in this exaggerated narrative behaviors normalized during "special circumstances" like a once-a-year sale.

Anonymous said...

The details stood out to me the most. It was very interesting to see how “Black Friday” is from a salesperson perspective. As a customer it is a thrill because you’re getting things for yourself or others at the cost of possibly hurting another customer.
Alexis H.

Jalen White said...

I think that the idea that this can actually happen was something that really stood out to me. The human capacity to disregard others in order to gain personal goals is something that continuously shocks me. Not only does this happen during Black Friday, but large events such as wars also make us realize that we really are capable of doing quite heinous things.

Nyah C. said...

To me, the idea that this is something that could happen in real life is the most stand out to me. We say that this is so exaggerated that even though similar things to this could happen, it would never actually occur, but things continue to escalate until they become normal to us. There are a number of things that are prevalent and normalized today, that in the past, would have been taboo.

Dasmin W said...

The most shocking part of the story was that I could actually see this playing out again. This type of violence has already been seen throughout history. Examples include slavery, Jim Crow laws, and sundown towns. One can say that it is taking shape through police brutality and the passing of new laws. Overall, I'm concerned that the violence in the article could be real because of how people are in society today.

- Dasmin W

Jamie Tabron said...

The idea that something could happen like this in real life. If I am being honest I don't necessarily think that liking a good sale or a slight shopping addiction is a bad thing. However, I feel like this could be looked at metaphorically, I think this could also represent how in society more and more often people are easily persuaded by what is deemed popular and will feen it and do anything to obtain what they want, whether it is or not. It is more like a power trip. Which we know can be addictive in itself.

Chelsea Cooper said...

I'm most disturbed that something to this degree could and has happened in real life. Black Friday has never been a day I've looked forward to. I've seen people fight each other and throw around horrible language. Deals and bargains bring out the worst in people.

-Chelsea Cooper

Byron Coulter said...

The idea that things like this can happen in real life is more disturbing. Compared to the other option, details of a story are just that. These details from a fictional story aren't real so it just isn't as concerning as actual reality.

Philip Bowen said...

This idea is something I can see or have seen in real life. On Black Friday especially I seen people get into fights over items that they really ain't need. When it comes to putting deals on items this will happen every time.

-Philip Bowen

Nyla W. said...

The thought that this can happen in real life is what stood out the most to me. The little girl in the pink coat being trampled as the doors were opened was horrifying. We have already seen the extreme dangers of Black Friday and the events of this story wouldn't be too far fetched from what we know already.

K Carter said...

The idea that something like this could happen in real life stood out to me the most because in today's society it would not surprise ,e to see something like this on the news.

Richard Haley said...

the fact that stood out the most to me is the fact that this could happen in real life, humans are known to be the most greedy type of living things there are and it really makes you wonder how far people will go to get what they want especially if it’s a race to see who can get to something first.

-Richard Haley

Erin Myers said...

Raven Ginger said...
The disturbing details of the actual story stood out to me because I could not get past the lady with the grey scarf saying her daughter and husband were weak because they died along the way to her getting a new coat and a new TV! I also couldn’t get past the part where the grown woman hit a kid in the cheek over some clothes that weren’t her size and when she realized that she threw them on top of the bleeding kid!
-Raven Ginger

April 1, 2022 at 7:23 PM

(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/03/haley-scholars-group-2-nana-kwame-adjei_30.html)

Erin Myers said...

Brooke H.:

What stood out to me was the idea that this does happen, but the perspective it was put in I think was brilliant with the title idea. 'Friday Black' implies that it is a backwards view of black Friday, and black Friday highlights sales more than brutality while 'Friday Black' does the opposite as the title entails.

April 1, 2022 at 8:47 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/03/haley-scholars-group-2-nana-kwame-adjei_30.html)

Erin Myers said...

McKenna C. said...
The thought that society can easily head down this path is more disturbing. I've seen how people react just trying to buy expensive shoes and the violence that comes with it. "Black Friday" brings out the worst in people and it's crazy that it's becoming normal to hear about violence occurring from shopping.

McKenna C.

April 1, 2022 at 9:17 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/03/haley-scholars-group-2-nana-kwame-adjei_30.html)

Erin Myers said...

Jania G.:

The more disturbing part for me would be that I could see this happening in real life. The lengths people will go to for something they want can be a scary thing and I could see things like this happening on Black Friday.

Erin Myers said...

Ashanti Y.:

What stood out to me most is the idea that this is a real life reality or was. During Black Friday another side of people come out especially when trying to get the best grabs. Asa family we always go Black Friday shopping every year and each year it gets more hectic.

Zion Chatman said...

The idea that something along these lines could happen in real life is an unpleasant thought to say the least, but I would have to say that the disturbing details of the actual story thunderstruck me the most. I was struck by how unflinching his writing was, and while reading I was speechless and had to pause a few times. I haven’t been this both emotionally invested and intellectually intrigued by a book in a long time.

-Zion C.

Keaira C. said...

This story was very captivating and interesting to follow. I think the most captivating part of this story is that these can be very accurate and real occurrences on Black Friday, it was unfortunate how easy the story was to visualize. Personally, I haven't experienced a crazy Black Friday since I was younger, but I have heard stories about Black Friday shoppers getting violent, aggressive and gruesome to find what they're trying to purchase. This story included many vivid and disturbing details that definitely made the story more insidious and horror-like. There were moments when I felt that I needed to reread certain lines just because some of them would catch me off guard. There were also a lot of creative decisions that were made that made the story fresh and complex, have some new concepts. For example, understanding the language of Black Friday shoppers was a new concept that actually was very clever. Portraying the shoppers to be a breed of their own, and to require time, experience and patience to understand. It's almost as if this story was portraying how animalistic and monstrous people can be with the intention of being humanistic, gifting someone. Which relates to people today and how we at times choose violence and aggression, instead of leading with compassion and being genuinely helpful to help us get what we want from each other.

Erin Myers said...

Kai S.:

The idea that something like this could happen in real life is part of the reason I have never gone Black Friday shopping. While the details may not be real there are numerous accounts of people getting into physical altercations at these sales and events.

Carah F. said...

The details of the story disturbed me more than the idea that something like that is possible. Black Friday has actually died down significantly over the past 5 years or so. No one really cares about it since you can just get it all online without the fear of being trampled. I loved the gory detail in the book though. I thought portraying the customers as ravenous zombies was a great symbolism to show has fast fashion / the retail industry has shaped people.

Carah F.

Torian henry said...

What stood out most to me is that something like this is totally possible in real life. And what is even more intriguing is the fact like things like this do happen but not much coverage or information on the events are detailed to the public community.

Arielle S. said...

I think I was the most shocked by the fact that this is something that gets close to happening every year. People go crazy over Black Friday Shopping and it is honestly wild. People trampling over people and taking things from people just to have something new.

Darius Campbell said...

What stood out to me was the disturbing actions of the people in the story. People were biting other people and foaming at the mouth. This shows how people become mindless zombies during Black Friday. It also show how violent people will become to get the things that they want. Like the lady who kicked the child down to get the coat they were holding.

-Darius C.

Tiffany Ellison said...

I would say the idea that something like this could happen in real life stood out to me more because it's honestly crazy how aggressive people get in situations like these. I have heard stories on the news of how people have gotten trampled in stores on black Friday and it's really sad and shocking every single time I hear it because I just can't believe that things like that actually happen.

-Tiffany E.

Erin Myers said...

Elizabeth K.:

The idea that something like this can happen in real life stood out the most to me. I have been to a Black Friday once in my life and I remember it being chaotic, although I must admit it would have gotten worse. It's sad how little we value others people's lives and well-being as compared to material things.

Unknown said...

What stood out to me was the savagery of how everyone acted for Black Friday. The trampling, the bitting, and the chaos is tumultuous especially when you remember that this happens every year in real life. The disregard for other lives just for material gain is horrible.

I'Lysa Walker

Charles R said...


What stands for me is how realistic the story is, during Black Friday in America, you often see on the news. Long lines, people running in the stores, fights and sometimes people hurting each other. This story show great examples such the mom who's husband and daughter get hurt and she says they were weak without caring about them. Customers getting trampled during shopping and cashiers getting threatened at store. Black Friday can be amazing because you can save money during the sale and at the same time scary and dangerous because you can get hurt.

Charles R

Ehriana . C said...

What stood out to me the most was the fact that stuff like this can actually happen during Black Friday. I've personally have had family members that have worked in retail tell me stories about customers fighting each other over items.It just shows how some people value items over someones life.

-Ehriana C.

Mahlik G. said...

What stood out most to me was the disturbing details of the story. My mind made several attempts to conceptualize the reality that people would go shopping and die in the process - and that be the "norm." My mind struggled to process it, which is why I think it's what stood out to me the most. Prior to the digital age, I know Black Friday was horrible; this was probably closer to reality then. But now, thankfully, maybe, we won't get to this sad reality.

Oyeyemi Efunkoya said...

The more disturbing part for me was that something like this brutal event can actually happen, not even that it’s something which we have seen our days. This story is just a terrific one, imagine just fighting for something you want but another thing is that we saying this can happen in real life the story was a little extreme meaning exaggerated .

Oyeyemi Efunkoya said...

The more disturbing part for me was that something like this brutal event can actually happen, not even that it’s something which we have seen our days. This story is just a terrific one, imagine just fighting for something you want but another thing is that we saying this can happen in real life the story was a little extreme meaning exaggerated .

Anonymous said...

What was most challenging to get through my head was how could this wicked event even happen? How could this truly be something that normally happens? It was really sickening. It has been many years since I have experienced the chaos of black Friday, but I do know that it cannot be a pretty sight at times. We as human society really should check what our values include.

Rotrisha Epps

Lexis L said...

What stood out to me most was that this can actually happen in real life. These situations can happen on Black Friday which is scary, to say the least. The story focused on dark humor but to visualize these things actually happening about people getting killed by stampeding in the store or even fighting for these low-priced items.
- Lexis L.

Erin Myers said...

Meghan N.:

I could see this happening in real life which is truly scary. During Black Friday, many people go crazy and so much shoving and pushing happens in stores. There definitely needs to be more safety precautions, and even more online shopping.