Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Coming of Age in Mississippi, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Intersection of Racism and Poverty
Loss of Innocence
The Importance of Community
Gender and Racism
Religion and Hypocrisy
Summary
Analysis
Anne goes to Baton Rouge to live with Ed and his wife Bertha. She gets a job working for a poor white woman, Mrs. Jetson, who pays her only three dollars per day. After two weeks, the Jetsons move away without paying Anne. Anne then gets a job at a department store after pretending to be 18. However, when she confides in her coworker (an older Black woman) that she is only 15, she gets fired.
Though Anne leaves Centreville to take a break from its rampant racism, she faces yet more racism in Baton Rouge when Mrs. Jetson does not pay her for her work. Her coworker’s betrayal in the department store highlights the lack of good job opportunities for Black people in Baton Rouge and shows that they must compete for jobs and resources.
Themes
Back in Centreville, with 65 dollars and new clothes, Anne runs into her classmate Doris. Doris tells her that the Guild ran Anne’s cousin Benty out of town after accusing him of having an affair with the same white woman as Mr. Banks. When Anne gets home and asks her family about Benty, she is disappointed that nobody will talk about the issue. She remembers Mrs. Rice telling her to find something else to focus on and decides that she will take piano lessons and play basketball again.
Anne’s summer of work enables her to return to Centreville with increased self-esteem. However, the news about Benty once again pulls her down. What’s more, Mama’s fear resurfaces as she refuses to discuss the issue with Anne. Meanwhile, Anne’s choice to listen to Mrs. Rice reflects her desire to preserve her sanity.
Themes
