Coming Of Age In Mississippi

In the European model of a Bildungsroman, the protagonist comes to maturity by accepting the values of larger society. What values does Moody accept and/or reject as she comes to maturity? How does Moody adapt the Bildungsroman to her African American experience?

Family plays an important role throughout African American history. What is the role of family in Moody’s narrative, and how would you describe her relationships with family members?

At the age of 4, Moody experiences her body as a target of family violence. As a teenager, she experiences awakening to her beauty. Describe Moody’s evolving awareness of her body.

Coming of Age in Mississippi is an autobiography, written from Moody’s point of view, but the book is also a historical text. How do actual events, such as the Emmett Till murder and the Woolworth’s sit-in, and actual persons, including Martin Luther King and Joan Trumpauer, affect Moody’s life and the lives of those around her?

Not only is Moody black, she is also a young woman. How does the intersection of race and gender influence Coming of Age in Mississippi? Consider the effect of Moody’s race and gender on characters, such as her black male classmates, Mrs. Burke, Wayne, and the male teenagers in the Movement.

Moody is born into poverty and hunger and struggles with them throughout childhood, adolescence, and even college. How do these experiences influence her political activism?

Church is an important aspect of Moody’s life; she joins a congregation, gets baptized, and even prays during a sit-in. Yet Moody comes to reject the God of her childhood. Describe Moody’s relationship to religion.

Moody’s family has difficulty understanding her desire to work for change. How does activism shape her life and her relationships?