Summary:
Discusses the story Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody. Questions if Moody had a positive childhood.
During Essie Mae's childhood, many conditions made her young life very difficult. Even though she was a little girl, she had experienced how hard life was for most African American people during those years of segregation. I believe that Essie Mae did not have a positive childhood because she did not have people who influenced her life in a good and positive way.
First, the fact that her father left the house, I think, can be one of the hardest experiences in her childhood. In some cases for a child that can turn into a trauma which can affect his or her future life in a negative way. For Essie Mae it was worse because she knew that her father abandoned the family for another woman; this sent a really bad message and example to young Essie Mae, which are disrespect a marriage and a family. Essie Mae said: "I remember he and Mama had a real knockdown session when he finally did come home. Mama fist-fought him like a men, but this didn't stop him from going by Florence's place. He even got bolder about it and soon went as often as he liked" (p. 18). I believe that separated parents can really affect so badly a family; and like in many cases, this happened in Essie Mae's.
I think George Lee, who was her eight year old uncle, was one of the most negative persons during her childhood. This boy, who was supposed to take care of Essie Mae and the other kids, was a total bad model for her and that's also why she hated him. Many times this kid did hit them for any reason and he never cared about them. I believe that Essie Mae's parents were too involved in their jobs with the land, and they never realized that another child was taking care of their children, and that's a really big mistake, but it was better than nothing, because it could be worse, if they were by themselves.
It seems like Essie Mae's lifestyle is full of negative things at home but is not just there because she also experienced abuse in her own school with Reverend Carson. She really was scared of this teacher, and that is why she spent most of the class time in the girl's restroom. She said about her teacher: "I was so scared of him I never did anything. I hardly ever opened my mouth. I don't even remember a word he said in class. I was too scared of listen to him" (p. 21).
I believe that for Essie Mae her childhood had changed her entire life because when she was grown up, she was ready for whatever came for her. Sometimes, hard experiences can teach us very good lessons and they can change our minds and personality in the future. After all the bad things and moments that Essie Mae had passed in her childhood, which is supposed to be the best stage in one's life, she learned a lot about life, and those experiences had formed in her a good teenager with a strong personality.
This is the complete article, containing 517 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
