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  • Essay / Effects of Segregation in "Mississippi Trial, 1955"

    In Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe, the author tells the story of a boy named Hiram who returns to Greenwood, Mississippi to visit his grandfather -father. When he revisits and travels back in time, he discovers that much has changed since he lived in the South as a young child. He gradually discovers that there are many changes in the South that he did not realize as a naive boy and it hits him hard when he realizes that everything he thought was true was basically a lie . Then the brutal murder of an African-American boy that Hiram had befriended takes place. Hiram must stand up for what he knows is right and rely on his instincts when those close to him reveal the truth he might not want to hear, developing his moral and social conscience as he confronts instances of injustice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Crowe's book is based on one main conflict, segregation. The major conflict in the story is the segregation between different skin colors and the way they are treated. When Hiram visits his grandfather in Greenwood, Mississippi, he notices how differently African Americans were treated. They were disrespected, looked down upon, and treated in a generally critical manner by prejudiced white people. When a savage and inhumane murder of a black boy takes place in the city, Hiram is faced with the decision to do what is right or do what is expected of him. This main conflict is so important because of how it impacts Hiram's feelings and opinions about everything he has ever known and believed in. To begin with, segregation is a major conflict in the story because of how it affects the protagonist Hiram as the narrative progresses. along. For example, at the beginning of the story, Hiram was a naive boy who was formed an opinion by his elders, mainly that white-skinned people were always "above" African-Americans. At the time, unfortunately, this was a common understanding of races. However, when Hiram learns of the conflict of segregation and separation between the races, he is affected by his change of opinion. At first, he was like an average boy, ignorant and stuck in a dark cave, with no sunlight or escape to freedom and the outside world. There is a major allegory symbolized in Crowe's book, specifically about the lack of education about equality, the world, and people other than white people. I know this was a recurring theme throughout his childhood, as Hiram thought, "That's why Dad was so crazy about the South and segregation." Perhaps he realized that tyrants would always find someone to attack, if not blacks, then at least someone else” (97). This evidence shows how Hiram ultimately realizes that his father was right about the isolation in the American South. The protagonist's perspective changes when he first discovers the horrors and methods he once called the norm. When the conflict of segregation and color separation arises, Hiram rethinks all his formed opinions. Another reason why the conflict in the segregation story is so imperative is that it impacts Hiram's decisions to defend himself. When the black boy's murder was revealed in the newspaper, Hiram was faced with a decision. Either tell what he knows and suspects to the biased Mississippi police, or keep silent and say what everyone wants and.