Essie Mae and Anne are the same person. The duality of names speaks to the changing roles Anne assumes during the story. At the beginning, she is very much an Essie Mae. She is a black girl from a poor southern family. She works hard and takes beatings from her parents whenever the mood suits them. Essie Mae is does not know very much about the world around her, and at this point sees little reason to suspect that life could be any different. However, as Essie Mae grows and continues to work in the outside world, she comes to realize that not all people live like her family does. Essie Mae begins to question the differences between people, and it is at this point that she becomes Anne.
Anne is less napve than Essie.....
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