Coming Of Age In Mississippi Essay

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In Anne Moody’s book Coming of Age In Mississippi, we are given a first hand look of what it was like growing up as an African-American in the south during the mid 20th century. Anne recalls many different obstacles in which she had to overcome- or at least stand up to. Many of the struggles Anne faces throughout her early life may not be out of the ordinary for this time, but how Anne chooses to deal with these issues is what truly defines her to be an extraordinary character of American history.
Growing up in rural mississippi, Anne’s family was very poor and surrounded by extreme racism. A few traumatic events near the beginning of the story seem to set a tone for the rest of the tale. In the first chapter, Anne’s house is burned to the ground. This is done by her cousin George, but Anne ends up with the blame. Anne is then punished for something that was not her fault. This is almost a recurring theme in the book, as Anne is continuously being punished or tormented throughout her life for having a darker skin color. Soon after this, Anne’s family is devastated when their father abandons them to run away with another woman. Anne’s mother, pregnant at the time, remains strong and finds a job in the city to support her children. Anne’s mother demonstrates determination and independence, and acts as a role model for Anne so that she too will not give up in the face of conflict and struggle.
As Anne begins to mature, she is continually exposed to the racist system that plagues the south. At a very early age, Anne becomes friends with neighboring children- who happen to be white. When attending a movie with these white friends, Anne is forced to sit in the black seating area. Anne does not understand why she is not allowed to sit...

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...acceptance from the white community. Anne now develops an ill will for people like Mr. Willis, as many African-American people during this time have.
Fast-forward now to Anne’s life in college. Anne is attending a small college in mississippi thanks to a basketball scholarship, and is now blossoming into the strong independent woman that she will become. Once again Anne demonstrates her extraordinary initiative and leadership as she began a boycott of the colleges food after one of her classmates had found maggots in their meal. This is one of Anne’s most important displays of civil disobedience, and foreshadows greater things to come. Anne graduates college with, again, a 4.0 GPA and is granted a scholarship to a top school in Mississippi. At Tougaloo, Anne’s new school, Anne becomes a member of the NAACP and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

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