Coming of Age

Coming of age in Mississippi was a book written by Anne Moody. The book covers Moody’s life from childhood through to her involvement in the civil rights movement. Her autobiography details her struggles against racism and sexism. In this analysis, I shall be looking ta chapter 22 of her book. Chapter 22 is in part 4 of her book where she starts to describe the movement and her full-scale involvement in the struggle for civil rights.

Coming of age in Mississippi was an autobiography written by Anne Moody during the 1960’s and published in 1968, towards the end of the civil rights movement. Anne Moody was a civil rights activist born in 1940, born and raised in Mississippi. She was involved in the civil rights movement through the NAACP, CORE and SNCC. She had fought racism and segregation from a young age and then go involved during her college years. Anne Moody was a unique figure to the civil rights movement as she held a direct voice of the oppressed rural blacks. The audience of the source would have been young people and people who weren’t aware of the issues in the south.

The audience would have affected the source to a historian in shaping our understanding of the period because she would have been writing to expose the issues to the audience and only the one side would have been highlighted in the book. Moody’s writing throughout the source is subjective. The chapter is full of her opinions and personal feelings of the protests in Mississippi and certain people involved. Moody’s intellectual background might have affected the source. Moody earned an academic scholarship to Tougaloo college, graduating in 1964. This notable education would have affected the way she wrote the source as she was a smart woman whose skills would have known how to write and it would have made this source more effective in her description of the events which transpired. Her social-political background would have similarly affected how the source was written.

Moody was from a poor background and her hatred of white people grew from an early age after the murder of Emmet Till. His murder had a profound impact on her and the anger this made her feel set the stage for her later activism and this book. The audience at the time of publication saw this book more as a social commentary rather than a literary piece and the exposé of racism in the south. The expectations of the audience would have been to learn more about the experiences of people in the south and how the NAACP ran the protests. This would have affected her focus of writing within the source as she wanted to include everything but also not give too much of the mechanisms away. The functions of the source are to give light of the experiences during the protesting. She would want to emphasise the struggles of the civil rights movement and racism in general. The context of this source is useful in shaping the way we understand the period.

Chapter 22 of Moody’s book ‘coming of age in Mississippi’ is in part 4 of the book which is about her full-scale involvement within the civil rights movement. Moody describes her participation in various events during the chapter, including sit ins at the Woolworths lunch counter and pray ins on the steps of the local post office. She gives her experiences in countless detail and the reader can gain much knowledge from this. Chapter 22 highlights many issues which can help the reader and historians alike understand the period.

One of the most interesting sentences in this source is when she talks about her own feelings on the movement, she states ‘It no longer seemed important to prove anything. I had found something outside myself that gave me meaning to life’. This is relevant to understanding the period as it shows us how important and involved she was in the movement. After an already difficult upbringing, including poverty. She is now content being an activist. She is passionate in her drive to fight for racial equality and a group where she feels accepted for the first time since her early childhood. This provides us with why activists like Anne were so passionate about the movement and the rewards they get from being a part of it. Another part of the content which is relevant to us understanding the period was her hatred of white population.

Moody grew a hatred for white people since the murder of Emmet Till. This is reiterated in this chapter when she quotes, ‘the whites have a disease, an incurable disease”. This helps our understanding of the period as a historian as we can gain the views of many African Americans in the south. Th believed white people would kill to protect their way of life.

After the abuse and violence of the sit in and the crimes Moody has seen in a first-hand experience it is not surprising she has this view. It shows us how bad the racism was in the south and how racial inequality wasn’t changing despite the avid protesters efforts. Her views of white people also show her struggle to overcome social inequality. The serious tone of writing shows us how passionate Moody was about the movement. How important she felt change was. It shows us the gravity of the movements and how important change for racial and social inequality in the south was for many people. The content of this source is valuable to historians in heling us understand the period.

This book can be a valuable source to a historian and we can use it in many ways, especially chapter 22. A historian could use this source when observing the themes of the period. The themes of the chapter primarily focus upon racism and the struggle to overcome social inequality. Historians can gather so much valuable information just by reading Moody’s experience. Woman like Moody’s lives were shaped by the racial discrimination and prejudice that all African Americans faced during the period. Historians can use Moody’s experiences to demonstrate the problems of the period. They can use it to support any arguments they may have around the period.

Historians can use this source to further discover who was involved in the movements during the civil rights movement. Students were involved in a huge number of the protests in Mississippi. As Moody describes, ‘four hundred high school students had also been arrested”3, historians can use this to answer the question why students were so important to the development of the civil rights movement. The use of student for the protests was important as they joined the movements to shape their futures and open a world of opportunities the generations before them didn’t receive. Historians can also use this source to try and understand why some black people just accepted the injustice. Not all black people were involved in the protests.

Moody’s relationship with her family in Centreville, Mississippi deteriorated due to her involvement. This made her angry and she couldn’t understand why they just accepted this treatment and injustice. One potential problem a historian may encounter in using the source is because this source is written in a subjective tone it could be unreliable as her writing is too subjective. The interpretations a historian could take from this source could be affected by this writing as she obviously feels passionate about the subject so she may have bent the truth to get the reader to react more and reignite the civil rights movement. As she’s talking about her own experiences her own personal feelings about certain people may come in. Although Anne concludes that the movement has not improved the lives of people in Mississippi and there was a long way to go before change would occur.

Overall Anne Moody’s book ‘Coming of age in Mississippi is a valuable primary source to historians when shaping our understanding of the period. The source discusses many key themes like racism and injustice within society. The historian can gather plenty of information and knowledge from the content of this source. The source is significant and the context is also useful to historians. Although this source is just a snippet of the civil rights movement, it provides the reader with the vision of what it was like during the period for black people and what and why they were protesting for.

In life most people just cannot wait for the chance of becoming a “grown up”. Anticipating the chance to have more independence and the opportunity to do things that were perceived as being mature and cool. While growing up, the people suffer through a set of changes as they develop a sexually mature adult body. While these changes are primarily physical in nature, profound mental, emotional and social, changes also occur as youth adapt to their maturing bodies. A young Jewish girl who had to go into hiding during the Second World War to escape from the persecution of the Nazis suffered a lot.

Although rejected and isolated, she didn? t stop showing signs of coming of age as a normal girl such as having an imaginary friend, entering puberty and having sexual curiosity. First of all, Kitty, Anne? s diary, came to help to deal in the time of transition. Young children often have imaginary friends. Anne Frank, after she followed her family into hiding, never enjoyed this luxury. Her diary became Anne? s friend, her retreat from a microcosm imposed upon her and the seven other Jews imprisoned in the loft because of Hitler’s master plan of genocide against Jews and other groups.

Even before the Franks entered the loft, Anne had named her diary “Kitty. ”  (Shuman). Kitty helps Anne deal with the huge change and the reader sees it when she writes to her about the Annex. “I’ve probably bored you with my long description of our house, but I still think you should know where I’ve ended up” (Frank 25) and when how her world turned upside down because of the sudden change. “It seems like years since Sunday morning. So much has happened it’s as if the whole world had suddenly turned upside down. But as you can see, Kitty, I’m still alive” (Frank 19).

In these two quotes, Anne is telling Kitty that a lot have happened and she doesn’t feel comfortable being in hideout but at least she is still alive and has a friend who can tell everything. In writing to Kitty, Frank is trying to reach out to the normal world beyond her confined quarters. She misses school and her old friends. As the youngest in the secret annex, she is treated with condescension by the adults and sometimes scolded for her boisterousness. To overcome these feelings of isolation, she invents a friend in whom she can confide (Furst). I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone” (Frank 1). During her time in the annex Anne feels that despite having her parents, it’s better to tell everything to Kitty. ” Paper has more patience than people” (Frank 6). The Jewish girl feels that no one interested of what a thirteen year-old girl has to say and it’s better to write what she feels without fear of being judged and that was really hard for her because of being Jewish in times of the Holocaust. After Germany invaded Netherlands and the government began to persecute Jews.

Anne dropped her studies and lost contact with all her Jewish friends. During hideout, Kitty acted as Anne’s trusted confident when there was no one else to tell her secrets to. Kitty provided comfort in times of stress and companionship when she was lonely. “I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support” (Frank 1). Anne Frank was a popular girl in the school but she felt like she didn’t have a lots of friends and that’s one of the reasons why she had such a strong relationship with Kitty. The reader later learns that neither Mrs.

Frank nor Margot offered much to Anne in the way of emotional support and even though Anne’s father tried everything he could, he failed. “And yet for a long time I’ve felt extremely lonely, left out, neglected and misunderstood. Father did everything he could to curb my rebellious spirit, but it was no use… Why didn’t father support me in my struggle? Why did he fall short when he tried to offer me a helping hand? The answer is: he used the wrong methods. He always talked to me as if I were a child going through a difficult phase” (Frank 329).

Anne does realize that her father did try to help her but he failed; although Kitty didn’t. Kitty was always with her. ” So far you truly have been a great source of comfort to me, and so has Kitty, whom I now write to regularly. This way of keeping a diary is much nicer, and now I can hardly wait for those moments when I’m able to write in you. Oh, I’m so glad I brought you along! ” (Frank 1). Furthermore, during her concealment from the German soldiers, Anne started to show physical signs of growing up as her body started to change.

Anne Frank? s puberty began when she was 13 years old. Her breasts started to developed and because of the change, she had a terrible urge to feel her breast at night in bed. In addition, hair began to grow, and at the end Anne finally got her period. “I think that what’s happening to me is so wonderful, and I don’t just mean the changes taking place on the outside of my body, but also those on the inside. I never discuss myself or any of these things with others, which is why I have to talk about them to myself.

Whenever I have my period (and that’s only been three times), I have the feeling that in spite of all the pain, discomfort and mess, I’m carrying around a sweet secret” (Frank 160). At many points in her diary, the young girl expresses her desire to grow up so that her family take her seriously and she hopes to have her period thinking of it as physical sign of adulthood would make others respect her. When her period didn? t brought her family to respect her maturity, she continued to enjoy it as a “sweet secret”. At the time she made her first entries into her now-famous diary, she was pampered and immature (Shauman).

During Anne’s changes, the reader feels that she is no longer a naive kid because she leaves her normal childhood behind and becomes more mature and thoughtful due to the unusual circumstances of the Holocaust. “I was suffering then (and still do) from moods that kept my head under water (figuratively speaking) and allowed me to see things only from my own perspective, without calmly considering what the others- those whom I, with my mercurial temperament, had hurt or offended- had said, and then acting as they would have done” (Frank 157-158).

This quote shows that Anne began to grow up, reflecting more objectively on her own behaviour. Puberty is not only changes in the person body but it’s also a transition from childhood to adulthood. One cause of the sudden change in Anne was war. “The war is going to go on despite our quarrels and our longing for freedom and fresh air, so we should try to make the best to stay here. I’m preaching, but I also believe that if I live here much longer I’ll turn into dried-up old beanstalk. And all I really want is to be an honest-to-goodness teenager! ” (Frank 169). Anne believes that war has made her grow old too quickly.

She lost her chance to be a young person, enjoying life. As part of Anne’s development into a young adult, she started to develop an identity separated from her parents and a capacity of decision-making. She started to experience teenage rebellion mostly towards her mother. “Margot and Mother’s personalities are so alien to me. I understand my girlfriends better than my own mother. Isn’t that a shame? ” (Frank 42). This is one of the first times that Anne expresses a typical adolescent sentiment that she can relate to her friends better than to her own family.

Throughout the diary, Anne presents her mother in a negative and judgemental fashion. Anne sees her mother as an irritating figure of authority and she frequently wrote of her difficult relationship with her. One reason why Anne has problems with her mother is because Mrs. Frank sees Anne as a friend. ”I’ve suddenly realized what’s wrong with her. Mother has said that she sees us more as friends than as daughters. That’s all very nice, of course, except that a friend can’t take the place of a mother.

I need my mother to set a good example and be a person I can respect, but in most matters she’s an example of what not to do” (Frank 159). Anne tells Kitty that she needs a mother that possesses a great deal of tact, especially towards her adolescent children, and not one who pokes fun at her when she cries. Finally, as Anne continues to grow, she develops the sense of gender differences and also the curiosity of the body. During her hideout, Anne complains that it? s really easy to see exactly what a naked man looks like because of pictures, but it’s really hard to see a naked picture of a woman. Every time I see a female nude, such as the Venus in my history book, I go into ecstasy. Sometimes I find them so exquisite I have to struggle to hold back my tears. If I only had a girlfriend! ” (Frank 161). That? s probably one of the reasons that she touched herself when she was in the annex. The reader also finds out that, before going into hiding, Anne had a sexual curiosity about the human body. “Unconsciously, I had these feelings even before I came here. Once when I was spending the night at Jacque’s, I could no longer restrain my curiosity about her body…

I asked wether, as a proof of our friendship, we could touch each other’s breasts. Jacque refused. I also had a terrible desire to kiss her, which I did” (Frank 161). Through her thoughts expressed to Kitty, the reader appreciates that Anne was growing up really fast. The young girl was in the stage of trying to find love and have a relationship. When Anne talks about her love life, things gets confusing because there were multiple Peters during Anne’s short life. When Anne was thirteen she already had boys on the brain and she had a lot of admirers. I have a throng of admirers who can’t keep their adoring eyes off me and who sometimes have to resort to using a broken pocket mirror to try and catch a glimpse of me in the classroom” (Frank 7). Anne does seem to be a male magnet and before going into the annex, she experienced a relationship with a sixteen-year-old guy named Peter Schiff; however their relationship soon ended because Anne was too young. After going into hiding, she met Peter Van Daan, a shy boy in the annex that Anne has no taste for at first. However later in the diary, Anne begins having dreams of Peter Schiff. I immediately remembered what I’d been dreaming about. I was sitting on a chair and across from me was Peter… Peter Schiff” (Frank 162). Those dreams that Anne had, mark what she thinks to be a significant change in herself. “I (there I go again! ) don’t know what’s happened, but since my dream I keep noticing how I’ve changed” (Frank 170). Those changes are a result of increased interest in romantic love and sex. It seems that Anne started to realize that she wanted love and companionship so desperately that she blinded herself to who Peter Van Daan really was. No, I think about Peter much more than I do Father. I know very well that he was my conquest, and not the other way round. I created an image of him in my mind, pictured him as a quiet, sweet, sensitive boy badly in need of friendship and love! I needed to pour out my heart to a living person. When I finally got him to be my friend, it automatically developed into an intimacy that, when I think about it now, seems outrageous. (Frank 330). The fourteen-years-old girl initiates a healthy curiosity about a natural part of growing up. “A very strange thing has happened to me.

Before I came here, whenever anyone at home or at school talked about sex, they were either secretive or disgusting. Any words having to do with sex were spoken in a low whisper. That struck me as odd, and I often wondered why people were so mysterious or obnoxious when they talked about this subject” (Frank 172). The young girl is in a mature stage where she really doesn’t see why people laugh or get mysterious about the subject and she really wants to know about sex. Before going into hiding, she tried to ask her friends about the subject. “I said as little as possible or asked my girlfriends for information” (Frank 172-173).

Also, Anne asked her parents, but they were not open about sex and sexuality and that’s why she decided to ask Peter about sex and later she talks to Margot in the bathroom. In the end, Anne Frank died in early March 1945, in a concentration camp. During hiding, Annelies Frank never could get use to the annex and she always felt lonely and misunderstood. Even though she had a horrific childhood, that didn’t stop the enthusiastic young girl to experience normal teenage phases such as having an imaginary companion, facing mental & physical changes, and possessing sexual curiosity.

Work Cited ? Frank, Annelies Marie. THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL ANNE FRANL. THE DEFINITIVE EDITION. United States of America: Penguin Books, 1995. 341. ? Shuman, R. Baird, . “The Diary of a Young Girl. ” Literary Reference Center. EBSCO, n. d. Web. 29 May 2012. ? Furst, Lilian R. “The Diary of a Young Girl. ” Literary Reference Center. EBSCO, n. d. Web. 30 May 2012. ? Shauman, R. Baird. “Anne Frank. ” Literary Reference Center. EBSCO, n. d. Web. 30 May 2012.

Itercresco Make-up. High heels. Driving. Shaving. Dating. These are most of the undertakings that accompany maturing and becoming a young adult in the western society. For some in the western culture, the coming of age ritual is the allowance of these freedoms. In other cases and cultures, the coming of age ritual is often based on deeply rooted traditions and a heightened sense of grandeur. Whatever they may be, coming of age rituals are integral to our society, to our inner growth, and to our development as people. In this generation, “young people however, do not suddenly feel adult upon reaching the landmark legal ages.

Instead, they view these ages as representing starting points for adulthood rather than as things that immediately render them adult,” (Waters 171). The coming of age rituals avail in establishing a heightened sense of responsibility to young adults, which in turn benefits our society; these rituals cause a person to feel seasoned and as if they are truly coming into their own. At this point in their lives, young adults are akin to baby sea turtles that have almost made it to the ocean; they are crawling to the ritual that will “make” them an adult.

Itercresco not only enables adolescents to discover their roots in the context of cultural traits, religious spirituality, and relevant philanthropy, which will assist them in becoming productive members of society. With attention to common perceptions of “adulthood”, Itercresco interlaces practices such as volunteerism and going to an art museum to encourage the youth to be emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially independent. “Itercresco”— the name is a combination of the Latin translations of the words “growing” and “journey”.

The ritual, which occurs at the age of sixteen, involves seven months living in the country and town from which either the teenager’s mother’s or father’s family originates; the young adults have the option to choose the region they wish to further explore. If there is still family living in the town or city, the teenager may spend one out of the seven months with the relatives if they allow them to. If the young adult no longer has family in that vicinity, they will live on their own and off of the land as much as possible for the duration of the seven months.

The adolescents are sent away with seven thousand dollars and half of these funds must be used for philanthropic purposes. The rest of the money must endure the seven months, but they are allowed to find work. In fact, acquisition of employment is highly encouraged, as it will further fuel attention to a responsible persona. The funds for the philanthropic aspect cannot simply be donated; it must be actively used to benefit the town or city. In this day and age, preparation of the nation’s youth for the fast-paced society they are subjected to is integral.

Itercresco seeks to ready adolescents for the “real world” by exposing them to society in a mature light and fashion. This generation requires a well-rounded persona in order to be successful. Being cultured is imperative in our community; knowledge of classic literature, film, art, and music seems to be the necessity in the modern time. For example, trips to the Louvre in Paris and Gershwin Theatre in New York City can drastically provide new outlooks on life as well as knowledge not previously present.

Self-discovery and understanding on a religious level is also an integral aspect to being a productive member of society; apprehension of one’s inner self and a sense of self-awareness serve as foundations for being self sufficient and independent. Spending time immersed in learning about the spiritual aspects of different religions and examining one’s own views on spirituality and religion can provide immeasurable wisdom and erudition. A simple trip to a mosque or synagogue can shed light on a myriad of beliefs and ideals that may shape one’s future outlook on life.

Giving back to the community and having a sense of responsibility for one’s environment is also an important aspect of being a contributing party to one’s community. Anything from assisting with building homes for citizens displaced by natural disasters to singing for the elderly can spawn a sense of obligation to one’s commonality and environment. Itercresco and its various parts successfully establish activities in lieu of producing and spawning successful and contributing members of society that can maintain stable employment and admirable relationships, for example.

The coming of age ritual ensures that a sense of independence and stability will be met at the end of the journey because it requires tasks that build and cultivate accountability. At first glance, the young adults find the discovery of the cultural traits is most jocular in Itercresco. The new understanding of the clothing, music, and fine arts of their region of origin proves to be a refreshing aspect of the coming of age ritual. At least one concert must be attended as well as one dance performance, art show or exhibit, or heatrical performance. The young adult may or may not choose to adapt to clothing styles, but while attending shows or performances, he or she must wear garb similar or identical to the citizens of the province. In further examination of the cultural aspects of the region, the purpose of Itercresco seeks to educate and entertain young adults with their own roots and origins. Itercresco solicits a sense of feeling connected to one’s heritage while ensuring the teenager is having a convivial experience.

The exploration of the culture will help the adolescent to become more well-rounded and refined, which will in turn better prepare them to participate and converse effectively in society. Self identification and spiritual discovery are the most important standpoints of Itercresco; they give the young adult an opportunity to find out who they are as a person, what they seek for their lives, and what they will rely on as their rock and stronghold. Itercresco encourages young adults to learn about the regional religion in order to expand knowledge of their own roots and even perhaps to positively influence the spiritual journey.

By no means is the young adult to have the regional religion forced upon them; the young adult is encouraged to take all religious leanings with a grain of salt and discover for him or herself what they need spiritually. To better understand the region’s roots, young adults learn and understand the common creation story the majority of the citizens believe. They can choose to unearth and learn about the creation story by asking family, neighbors, citizens, or by researching through books and other writings.

The young adults are also expected to explore the ethereal quests of their ancestors to better understand where they come from. They are also encouraged to journal their progress through their metaphysical ventures throughout the seven month duration. The purpose of this portion of Itercresco is to establish independence. Thinking and feeling for oneself, as well as having control and knowledge over one’s emotions and religious or spiritual beliefs, is a significant step towards adulthood and establishing one’s aptitude.

This autonomy is crucial to being an adult in our post-modern society. In a hypothetical sense, if a family tragedy of some sort occurred, a faculty over one’s emotions and actions is expected. Hence, why personal understanding is promoted during Itercresco. The philanthropy aspect of Itercresco is the most personal of the discovery aspects. It takes the young adults heart and projects in into something that will benefit the community from which they inherit their culture.

The young adults will choose something that is not only close to their hearts, but something that can truly benefit the community. The mission is to give back to the region that took part in establishing their existence. During the philanthropy, if funds or resources fall short, they are responsible for recovering what they need to complete the philanthropy; they can take donations or use any earnings from jobs they have done. The philanthropy can p from anything—from donating school supplies to building a garden to sustainably grow food. The possibilities are endless.

The young adults choose a task that will touch their own lives as well as the lives of others in the community. The adolescent is not only performing the philanthropy to finish with the particular area of Itercresco. Every commonality has needs and Itercresco’s foundation bases and prides itself on connection to heritage; who better than to aid in fulfilling the needs of a populace than an individual whom derives their roots from said territory? After the philanthropy is completed, a book of photos and journals is compiled to aid future generations in their philanthropy.

The community outreach is integral to Itercresco, as it will determine the compassion and service they are willing to give back to the community; this is critical as this is what stands to be the backbone of society. Fulfilling the different areas of Itercresco combine to be beneficial to one’s maturity as well as their inherent growth as a person. Discovering and spending time immersed in one’s roots helps a person better understand one’s heritage; knowing oneself guides who a person toward individualized identity.

Young adults are meant to glean experience, knowledge, and a new sense of independence from Itercresco. Julia Alvarez soundly states in her work, Once Upon a Quinceanera, that her own ritual gave her “a new community to belong to, a narrative I could follow into adulthood” (37). This quote proves accurate for Itercresco as the ritual gives a new sense of established belonging to a community the young adult already had ties to. Itercresco is in pursuit of reintegrating the teenager into their society with a cultivated and sophisticated outlook on society, their lives, and their environments.

The highlighted sense of responsibility, independence, and feeling of belonging of Itercresco provides immeasurable benefits and internal growth for the teenager moving into adulthood. Works Cited Barrios, Barclay. “Once Upon a Quinceanera. ” Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 228-48. Print. Waters, Mary C. Coming of Age in America: The Transition to Adulthood in the Twenty-first Century. Berkeley: University of California, 2011. Print.