Film Analysis: Hidden Figures

The setting of the movie greatly influenced the issues, actions, conflicts, and consequences the characters faced. The opening of the film “Hidden Figures” takes place in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia in the year 1926 when Katherine Coleman was just a sixth grader. The following scenes takes place in Hampton, Virginia of 1961. The film sets the struggle for equal rights against the backdrop of the space race recounting a time when even at NASA, African-Americans were segregated from their white counterparts. However, if the story had taken place in a different country or a different time period, the nonmaterial culture would have been completely different. Nonmaterial culture is “a group’s way of thinking (including its beliefs, values,

Remarkable similarities between the two stories include personal lives and long-lasting teamwork. The women in Hidden Figures and Rise of the Rocket Girls had to take on multiple roles including

Due to the fact that the space race took place between the years of 1957-1975, the height of the civil rights movement was in effect. Considering the fact that much more was happening in the 1950s-60s, the year that this movie is taking place, these people are not incorrect when they say that there was more racial conflict present than just the segregation of colored and white bathrooms. Nevertheless, the purpose of Melfi’s film was not to depict all of the racial injustices towards African-Americans in the 1950s and 1960s, but an emphasis on how inequality directly affected the work that they did inside NASA. As seen in the film, the primary focus is on the work they do that is imperative to their work at NASA. For example, Melfi shows Vaughan being questioned in the library for looking at a book in the white section of the library. Although she is outside of NASA, Melfi portrays that Vaughan needs the book to learn about how to program the IBM machine at NASA. Melfi’s exclusion of other prevalent racial injustices was for the purpose of focusing all of the attention on what they faced as African-American mathematicians at NASA. John A. Murray writes in agreement, as he writes about the purpose of Hidden Figures, states that “African-American women working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (later known

Progression in technology comes with progression of education. The movie “Hidden Figures” highlights the opportunities involved when intelligent, courageous women take strides to create the math to send astronauts to the moon. This movie is about three historical African American women who worked as “human computers” at the NASA Research Center in Langley, VA in the early 1960’s. Katherine Johnson (fellow mathematician), Dorothy Vaughn (programmer) and Mary Jackson (engineer), contributed to NASA space program to successfully send John Glenn, the first man to orbit around the earth, Project Mercury and later Apollo II mission. The film is a powerful reminder of the destructive consequences of discrimination. It holds important career lessons about how to manage and excel at work even under challenging circumstances.

Despite their remarkable intelligence and qualifications, the women featured in Hidden Figures had to overcome significant barriers to access the same educational and professional opportunities as white individuals. Shetterly writes, "When she began teaching in Virginia in the 1930s, fewer than a dozen black people in the state held doctorates" (Shetterly 23). This passage underscores the limited access that African Americans had to higher education, which in turn contributed to the lack of representation of African Americans in STEM fields. Moreover, the book also highlights the resilience and determination of the African American women featured in the story, who defied societal expectations and stereotypes to make significant contributions to the space program. Despite facing discrimination and prejudice, these women excelled in their roles as mathematicians and engineers, ultimately proving their capabilities and worth in a male-dominated and predominantly white environment.

Hidden Figures unfolds a new understanding of racism and segregation, showing how they confront adversity using the power of their knowledge and education, and are committed to resistance and advocacy in their pursuit of equal opportunities to face injustice. Racism and segregation in the film Hidden Figures is an ongoing problem as they strive to make their mark in a predominantly white and male dominated field at NASA. While everyone was celebrating the accomplishments in space and the race for space in the world. Katherin, Dorothy, and Mary experienced many challenges in and out of the workplace, such as separate bathrooms and dining areas. As for out of the workplace, libraries, restaurants, court rooms, were also segregated into white and colored sections.

The movie Hidden Figures is about 3 African American women who work for NASA during the 1950’s.The three women are Katherine Johnson,Dorothy Vaughn,and Mary Jackson.Katherine Johnson had a hidden talent that most of the people that worked at NASA didn't know she had , she was a master with the numbers.Dorothy was the manager of NASA's segregated West Area Computing Unit and she was also good with the numbers,just not as good as Katherine.Mary Jackson was an American mathematician and aerospace engineer that worked at NASA,along with the other three girls.Many African American women worked for NASA they just don't receive much recognition but these three women seem to have changed the game for everyone.

The film Hidden Figures is based on a true story and adapted from the book ‘Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race’ by Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie is centered around a trio of African-American women who worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and played an essential role in sending John Glenn to space amidst a burgeoning Space Race between the United States of America and Russia. Based in Hampton, Virginia in the 1960’s, film depicts the deep racism and sexism prevalent in the United States at that time. The film provides a glimpse of the stark realities that black women faced at the time. From the segregated bathrooms and

Hidden Figures was set in Hampton, Virginia in 1961. Each woman was a genius from birth and their abilities were taken for granted in a white, male dominant work place. Their intelligence was a huge part of the success in the launch of the first American into space. One prominent hardship in Hidden Figures was sexism. Women had to work in male dominated places and that sometimes proved to be a hostile environment. For women of color in the Jim Crow era, it was double jeopardy dealing with gender and race in the work place. (Odonkor) Sexism was demonstrated many times throughout the movie by a denial of opportunities. For example, Katherine struggled to

1961 was an exciting time for Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Katherine Johnson. These women were Black and they worked at NASA Langley. The movie Hidden Figures opens with a young Katherine being tested and sent to a school where her education and skills of being a mathematician could be of better use to her. It then moves to a scene where the three women are stuck on the side of the road late for work and Dorothy Vaughan is under the care trying to fix what appeared to be a problem with the starter of her car. A white officer stops, asks a few questions and upon learning that these women were a part of the teams that were crucial in the great space race, he escorts them to work. Each of these women played leading roles in this movie and they each faced a different set of racial challenges.

Hidden Figures is a 2016 film that recounts the story of three incredible black women in NASA history: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. The film largely sheds light on the experiences of these three women working as computers for NASA during 1960s segregated America. Public restrooms are separated between the whites and coloreds, the white male patriarchy dominates the field, and as always, racism is alive and well. During the film, the political unrest of the country is present and very much of conversation, and as these three women navigate their way throughout society with positions no one expects them to hold, they quite literally make history through their groundbreaking work, history

The movie Hidden Figures centers around three African-American women who worked at NASA and provided numbers that assisted in launching astronaut John Glenn into orbit in the Friendship 7 spacecraft. Set in 1961 during the Space Race, this launch was an achievement for America as prior to launching Glenn into orbit, the Russians had successfully launched a satellite into space. Although John Glenn made three instead of the full seven orbits for re-entry due to problems with the heat shield, the operation still restored the nation’s confidence. The three African-American women behind this operation were Katherine Goble, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan. All three worked in the West Area Computers division, which was segregated from the Langley Research Center located in Hampton, Virginia. Each of them were faced with obstacles that prevented them from furthering their capabilities due to the color of their skin and their gender.

Hidden Figures, an extraordinary film that shines light on women existence and their intelligence. The women, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan used the power of their intelligence to decipher complex math calculations, computer language to build rockets that other could not see. Throughout the movie racial descrepancies were vividly clear, but these eager women had something to stand for. They dared not let the words of bitterness deter them of their worth.

Katherine Johnson proved to be an intelligent and an intrepid character. She was proud to be negro and was quiet, yet when provoked, she stood up for herself and expressed her thoughts. These attributed were showcased many times throughout the film Hidden Figures. As the main character, she fulfilled that role and had a hard-working mentality. Such as staying behind at work and working overtime. Her extensive knowledge of mathematics proved that dark-skinned women are worthy of going to college and working in a society where all people are treated equally.

After watching the movie Hidden Figures from Humanities class. The way how three African American women, who were Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan gain the respect of the white men in NASA was admirable. They did excellent jobs to make white people changed their mind about giving respect to African American people. They dared to think and dare to do what they have thoughts. They used their gray matter to contribute to the space race of the United States vs. Russia at that moment, and also they changed the white men thoughts about colored people.