Anne Moodyy Taking The Road Less Moody Essay

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Anne Moody: Taking the Road Less Traveled Coming of Age in Mississippi, an autobiography written by Anne Moody, is a novel based on the life of an African American in rural Mississippi and her involvement in the civil rights movement. Anne Moody’s curiosity about inequality started at a young age in spite of her mother’s influence. Anne stated, “Every time I [Anne] tried to talk to Mama about white people she got mad” (Moody 35). Anne thought, “with a Mama like that you’ll never learn anything” (Moody 134). Even though her mother wouldn’t speak of whites or the hardships inflicted by them, Anne would learn more about whites from her interactions with her teacher, Mrs. Rice and employer, Mrs. Claiborne. Anne Moody’ strong character, her frustration towards her peer’s damaging attitude of detachment from racism, and several destructive events throughout her life are some of the reasons that Moody got involved with the civil rights movement. Yet, despite her involvement in the civil rights movement, Moody was critical of the leaders of the civil rights movement. Anne Moody’s strong character drove her desire to get involved in the civil rights movement. Moody’s curiosity and courage defined her strong character. The society she lived in constantly reinforced the fact that whites were better than blacks, but Anne didn’t know why. One time, after getting in trouble for attempting to sit with her white friends in the movie theater Anne’s mama, scolded her. Anne explains that after that everything was different, “Now all of a sudden they were white, and their whiteness made them better than me. I now realized that not only were they better than me because they were white, but everything they owned and everything connected with them wa... ... middle of paper ... ...ers leading us” (Moody 335). While listening to the speakers, Anne thought, “I sat there thinking that in Canton we never had time to sleep, much less dream” (Moody 335). Anne Moody has been recorded in history as one of the strongest voices for the black community and a great champion of civil rights. However, in spite of her passion for equality, at one point Anne became so disheartened and lost hope in the civil rights movement that she left the movement for a while to regain energy. While Anne Moody would eventually re-engage as a leader of civil rights movement, she clearly had her doubts and reservations. Anne’s final words at the end of the novel are, “I wonder, I really wonder’’ (Moody 424). I think this sentence reflects her exhaustion from the endless hours of toil as well her moments of disillusionment and disappointment in the civil rights movement.

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