Mrs. Hedges In The Novel The Street
a. What purpose is served in the novel by the presence of Mrs. Hedges? Of Mr. Jones? Of Min?
Mrs. Hedges is a product of the street, learned to conform to the street, and made it work for her success. She attempts to help Lutie, by showing her how not to be a part of “brawling, teeming” (251) life of the street. Mrs. Hedges’ character understands the power that “the street” have over people, and their success, or failure in Harlem. She embraced the reality of “the street.” She actually named ‘the street,” and “separated it from any other street in the city, giving it an identity, unmistakable and apart,” (252).
Mr. Jones is the super of the building and is sexually obsessed with Lutie. He has little respect for women and views them as objects
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Wherever Lutie goes, “The Street” will be her downfall.
• In addition to racism and sexism, what societal forces impact Lutie?
The allusion for most African Americans in the imagery of “the street” is racism, sexism, socio-economic depravity, prison for her son, and gender bias. The street affected every African American in Harlem.
• Further, to what extent are African American children’s life chances today, especially in urban areas, better than Bub’s?
According to Joanna Penn, Journalists Resource- Harvard Study Resource, “children from high-and low-income families tended to be worse growing up in urban areas, particularly those with concentrated poverty, compared with those in suburban or rural areas. 2017 Poverty Fact Sheet – Memphis, Tennessee – states, “Memphis, Tennessee has reclaimed the unfortunate top spot as the poorest MSA in the nation overall and in child poverty. Children continue suffering the greatest rates of poverty in Memphis and in Shelby County. The situation between Bub’s teacher and her students is still apparent in today’s time.
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