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Coming Of Age In Mississippi By Anne Moody

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Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi: The Classic Autobiography of Growing up Poor and Black in the Rural South. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub, Group, 1976. Throughout the mid-fifties and early sixties, the Civil Rights Movement was most characterized by major non-violent protests and campaigns of civil resistance, with the ultimate goal of securing legal rights for the people of colored race and making all aspects of society equal. In the autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi, Anne Moody depicts her experience growing up in rural Mississippi throughout the 1940’s and 50’s. Overcoming poverty and discrimination as a young black woman in the South, Moody portrays how her personal anecdotes and strong determined character shaped …show more content…

One day, Ed takes them to a surprise visit to his house, where she meets Sam and Walter, Ed’s younger brothers. Essie Mae is so surprised when she finds out that Sam and Walter are white, which makes her wonder why they were so nice and respectful to her. She ponders over how Sam and Walter are white but when she asks her mother, she gets mad and avoids even answering the question. Later in the summer, Toosweet gives birth to James, who’s dad is a soldier, Raymond. One day, Raymond’s family comes to get James, as his mother, Miss Pearl, decides to take James away from Toosweet, claiming she can’t afford to raise another child. Although Raymond’s family dislikes her for her skin color, Toosweet continues to visit them in the continuation of the book. Toosweet is so sad, she decides to move the family to Centreville, which is closer to her new school, Willis High; but around Christmas time, they have yet to move again as Junior accidentally sets the house on fire. Essie Mae is so sad as all her Christmas clothes burn within the house. As they lived among the white people, her mother often worked doing domestic work for the families and always brought home leftovers. Essie is happy for the leftovers but wishes her family had enough money for her mom to have a kitchen of her own. Going from employer to employer, Toosweet ends up with Mrs. Johnson, who is nice to her; Essie Mae …show more content…

Essie decides to get her first job sweeping the porch of the old lady who sold the milk she shared with her cats. Toosweet makes her quit the job and Essie Mae is disappointed she could not help bringing in money. She is tired of being made fun of at lunch for not having enough money to have a proper sandwich. At school, Essie finds work for Mrs. Clairborne, who motivates her to continue at school and invites her to her house for dinner. She loves spending time with Mrs. Clairborne but worries she will have to find a full-time job to take care of her family due to Toosweet being pregnant again. Essie Mae does not enjoy having Raymond around and does not trust him being around her siblings until she soon finds out that he is building a house for them. Overjoyed, Essie Mae and Toosweet go and buy furniture and for the new house. When they try to attend Centerfield Baptist to try and fit in with Raymond’s disapproving family, Essie Mae compares the church to Mount Pleasant. She is surprised to hear that Reverend Polk has been in prison and that Darlene and Cherie do not talk to her. Since they do not feel welcome at Centerfield Baptist, Toosweet returns to Mount Pleasant but keeps making Essie Mae and her siblings go to Centerfield Baptist church and join in their activities. When it comes time for baptism, Essie Mae wants to stay at Centerfield Baptist but Toosweet

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Anne Moody a Civil Rights activist, in 1968 she published her autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi. Her book begins in her childhood and follows her life all the way to the height of the civil rights movement. A week before Anne started her first year in high school, Emmett Till was murdered. Emmett Till’s murder was a tragedy, but it served as an awakening to the turbulent times Anne and many others were living in. The autobiography reveals that Emmett Till’s death inspired Anne and a new generation of blacks to stand up and participate in the Civil Rights Movement.

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