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The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J.Gaines

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The realistic fiction novel, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” by Ernest J. Gaines, tells the life of a black woman whose life spanned from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement. Miss Jane Pittman herself narrates the novel as a schoolteacher records her accounts. Jane’s life entails a childhood spent as a slave. Once she gains her freedom from the white man, she leaves the plantation behind in search of Ohio. As the story of Jane’s life progresses and shows her personal growth, it includes the development of the lives around her. Ernest J. Gaines’ main character, Miss Jane Pittman, is one with an unordinary perspective. Gaines uses Jane’s life to convey the development of the south from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the novel, Gaines reveals the struggle of escaping one’s historical legacy and the concept a leader can play in society. The author captivates the entire spectrum of people that lived within society at this time. The thorough detail of this historical era explains how this resulted in a stagnant conflict.
When slavery was abolished, ex-slaves soon found out their newfound freedom was not like the white man’s. The societal structure of oppression was left intact, and many characters in the novel fought to escape past’s racial illusion lingering on in time. This deeply affected Tee Bob Samson who was the son of the sharecrop plantation owner. His half brother Timmy, who he loved, was simply sent away for taking

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