Coming of Age in Mississippi has a more relatable storyline and structure than the other three stories assigned for class, making it a more enjoyable read. When I was reading the other stories, especially Meatless Days, I had to stop after every few sentences and think about what I was actually reading because I tended to lose interest in the material. Not only was the topic foreign to me, but the structure of the story made it difficult to remain focused on the content. However, when I started to read Coming of Age in Mississippi, I was immediately pulled in and did not put the book down once.
In general, I think students are more familiar with the historical context of this account and were therefore more invested in the text. Personally, I have a very strong interest in African-American history and found this selection to be enthralling. The two chapters we read from the book were not sequential, but highlighted two very important parts of the author's life. Although I have not shared her experiences, I (and certainly many of my classmates) was able to put myself in her place. As in the first section, I know what it is like to witness a profound act I did not agree with, but over which I had no control. Similar to the second section, however, I can also relate to standing up for a cause I strongly support. I know what it feels like to be afraid to stand up for something I believe in, as well as fight for something I believe in.
Structurally, I believe this was the type of story most students are used to reading. It was very straightforward and made sense to read. There is no room for confusion. And although the material isn't very challenging, the author is able to use creative language to create a powerful image more effectively than some of the previous stories we read.
It would be interesting to complete the compare/contrast paper--mostly contrast--using this story and When Heaven and Earth Changed Places. Of the four we read, these were my two favorites. They are both stories of young girls living in a world of chaos and doing anything they can to escape that life. Yet the stories are recounted with very different perspectives and styles.
This assignment will be a challenge, but I think there is a lot of potential in selecting the excerpts from these texts.
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Interesting response. You might think a bit more about how to focus your paper if you decide to write about these two autobiographies. I think that you've made some good observations. What connects them all? Is that the structure works well to highlight the themes? Is it that the themes are similar? I think it would be great to work with these two stories, though.
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