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 realizes that going to New Orleans was a worse decision than staying in Canton because she has nothing in common with the people around her. Ready to re-enter the Movement, she begins canvassing the CORE chapter of New Orleans. She introduces her white canvassing partner, Erika, to Adline, who has never socialized with white people before. Still, Anne finds it just as difficult to register voters in New Orleans as it was in Canton.
Anne’s realization that she needs her activist community makes the point that isolation from one’s community is more difficult than many other hardships. However, she manages to find an activist community in New Orleans. When she introduces Adline to Erika, she brings her commitment to civil rights and integration into her own home.
Themes
Junior comes back from a visit to Centreville and tells Anne and Adline that Emma’s brother, Clift, had been murdered. Adline cries, wishing to leave the country. It seems that “the killings [are] getting closer.” Anne becomes very depressed over Clift’s death and skips work. She writes a letter to Emma expressing her condolences and asking for more information about the recent murders of Black men in Centreville, intending to involve Bob Moses of the SNCC.
Clift’s murder is a harsh reminder of the violent reality that Anne faces. Adline’s reaction reflects the deep-seated nature of racial violence in America and the apparent hopelessness of change. Anne’s letter to Emma reflects her commitment to seeking justice even in the midst of her devastation.
Themes
As Anne waits for Emma’s response, she feels isolated in New Orleans. She “hate[s] to see people so content” and wishes to go back to Mississippi, where people understand “the price you pay daily for being black.” Emma replies with more information about Clift’s murder and the other murders, which was a carefully organized attack. Anne is angry at her own feelings of helplessness.
Anne’s desire to return to Mississippi despite the apparently higher rate of happiness for Black people in New Orleans highlights the need to be around people whose experience one can relate to. Her feeling of helplessness reflects how deeply entrenched racist violence was in this era.
Themes
In May, Anne goes back to Tougaloo for her college graduation. Adline tells her that she and Junior may come, and Anne feels cared for. Upon arriving at Tougaloo, Anne goes to Ed King’s house and catches up with him and the other students about the Movement. She learns that the next day will be the one-year anniversary of the Woolworth’s sit-in. Ed tells her about the Mississippi Summer Project, which is a voter registration initiative combined with an initiative to teach courses at Freedom Schools and community centers. Anne feels excited about the project.
Anne’s visit to Tougaloo, where she first became involved in civil rights, reinvigorates her excitement about the Movement. Her graduation is a symbolic transition into adulthood, which happens to coincide with the one-year anniversary of one of her most famous activist exploits. This transition into adulthood at the crux of her activism shows that her life will be defined by this activism.
Themes
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Anne stops by the COFO headquarters in Jackson, which white night riders have vandalized. She discusses the murders with Bob Moses. He tells her that one of the men is Louis Allen, a Black man who testified against a white murderer. Bob tells her that he believes the other murders, including that of Clift, were just “terror killings” to scare Black people and keep civil rights workers out of the areas. Hearing this reignites Anne’s anger at the federal government for not protecting their citizens.
Anne’s conversation with Bob Moses in the ruined COFO headquarters reinforces the severity of the white supremacist establishment’s determination to curb the civil rights movement. Their conversation also highlights the prevalence (and effectiveness) of the fear tactics that white supremacists used to discourage Black people from advocating for justice.
Themes
