The climax of the story "Little Things Are Big" is when the narrator, Jesús Colón, decides not to help the white woman who is getting off the New York City subway, even though she has a baby, two other children, and a suitcase because he is afraid of the way that she might perceive his offer of help. Even though, as Colón writes, "courtesy is a characteristic of the Puerto Rican," he decides not to help this woman because he is a what he describes as a Negro and a Puerto Rican. He fears that she might have preconceptions about what people who look like him are like, especially in an empty subway station late at night. He doesn't know whether she'll accept his help or scream for help. As a result, he decides to do nothing at that moment, and he feels that racism has caused him to act in a way that is uncharitable. However, he makes up his mind that in the future, he is going to offer help, no matter how it is perceived.
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