1959 (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Thulani Davis
- First Published: 1992
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1959
- Setting: The Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: 1950’s, African Americans, Civil rights, Dictators, Discrimination, Girls, Justice, Maturation or coming of age, Segregation or integration, Social action, Teaching or teachers, Virginia
- Locales: Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
Characters Discussed
Willie Tarrant, the narrator, a bright twelve-year-old girl who, in 1959, is preoccupied with boys, kissing, and music. After she is selected to be one of six African American students to integrate the all-white Patrick Henry Junior High, Willie’s mundane world is shattered. She and the all- black community of Turner, Virginia, become embroiled in the civil rights struggle. As this naïve yet spirited young girl comes of age during this turbulent period in American history, she shares her eloquence and sense of dignity with her community. Willie’s...
[The entire page is 906 words long]
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