Coming of Age in Mississippi

A detailed Summary of Coming of Age in Mississippi

In the autobiography Coming of Age in Mississippi, anger and hate are permeated throughout. Anne Moody writes about her feelings of rage and hate from her childhood through early adulthood. In many ways, Moody's anger is a direct result of her environment. As she grew up in the poor South during the fifties and sixties, she faced many adversities in her everyday life, many of which she had no control over. Anne Moody vividly portrays the anger felt by many black people during this era.

At a very early age, Moody was exposed to feelings of anger and hate. Much of her early anger is directed toward her parents. While Anne was still very young, her father abandoned his family for another woman. Although she was very young and probably did not understand exactly what had happened, it still had long-lasting effects on Moody's life. Her mother was left to support the family and Moody was left to care for her brothers and sisters. As she grew older and more aware of her surroundings, her anger toward her father became more prevalent. She couldn't understand how her father could abandon his family. This anger is brought up many more times throughout the book and is never completely resolved.

Moody also showed much anger at the federal government for their delayed action on civil rights. While the federal government had promised further action toward equality for blacks and whites, it was afraid to enforce the laws that were already in effect. Moody showed very little respect for the government's policies. She felt the government had very little effect on her life and in reality did not care about the plight of African Americans. Even the law enforcement agencies throughout the South had neglected to protect Blacks, and often stood by or even participated in violent acts against them. Moody was enraged by their actions and at many times showed much hatred.

One form of hatred, which was formed throughout the course of the book, was that of God and religion. Moody was raised by her mother as a Southern Baptist. She attended church regularly and her mother instilled the importance of spirituality in her life. As Moody matured and saw the horrific violence against blacks in her life, she began to question God. While many other African Americans worshipped regularly and praised God through spiritual songs, Moody wondered why God had continued to allow the oppression of the black race. Her doubts about God grew into anger, hatred and eventually complete denial of His existence.

Moody's anger with her mother doesn't truly peak until her college years. Moody becomes very angry with her mother for never talking to her about the civil rights movement for African Americans. As a child, Moody didn't truly understand the oppression and inequality that African Americans had suffered. Whenever she questioned her mother about it, she was always ignored. During college, Moody became actively involved in the civil rights movement. Her mother pleaded with her to stay away from it, but that only pushed her even harder. Moody co

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Approximate Word count = 1238
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English