Coming of Age in Mississippi - Part 1 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What are all the members of the family at the start of the book?

Diddly, the father, and Toosweet, the mother, have two kids, Anne, the oldest, and Adline, the youngest.

What are Toosweet and Diddly's jobs?

They are sharecroppers.

Whose plantation do they live on?

Mr. Carter's.

What do the main characters live in?

A two-room shack next to Mr. Carter's house. Signup and view all the answers

Who is George Lee?

Toosweet's 8-year old brother. Signup and view all the answers

What happens after George Lee announces he is going hunting?

He hits both Anne and Adline. Signup and view all the answers

Who threatens George Lee to come home?

Diddly. Signup and view all the answers

What does George Lee do after Diddly sees Anne's injury?

He tries to lie and say she fell off the porch. Signup and view all the answers

Who sets the house on fire?

George Lee. Signup and view all the answers

What does George Lee do when Diddly inquires about the fire?

He blames it on Anne. Signup and view all the answers

Who dies early in Chapter 1 and how?

Diddly's friend Bush is thrown off his wagon by his horses. Signup and view all the answers

What game does Diddly love?

Shooting dice. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Bush's widow?

Florence. Signup and view all the answers

Who does Diddly cheat on Toosweet with?

Florence. Signup and view all the answers

What does Anne notice in Toosweet?

She notices that Toosweet has become depressed and started to put on weight. Signup and view all the answers

What is the real cause of Toosweet's weight gain?

She is pregnant. Signup and view all the answers

What is the baby's name and who is he named for?

Junior, and he is named for their father. Signup and view all the answers

Where does the family go in the wagon?

Aunt Cindy's. Signup and view all the answers

Where is Toosweet's first job while living at Aunt Cindy's, and how is she paid?

The Cooks, and in leftover food. Signup and view all the answers

Where does Toosweet get a good job?

A black cafe in town. Signup and view all the answers

Where is the new house, and what are the conditions?

It is from the Cooks, but Toosweet must help Ms. Cook out. Signup and view all the answers

Why does Toosweet forbid them from the woods at Ms. Cook's house?

There are big snakes and hunters. Signup and view all the answers

Where does Anne go to school?

She goes to Mt. Pleasant Elementary, a church 4 miles away. Signup and view all the answers

Who is the minister of the church?

Reverend Cason. Signup and view all the answers

How do the girls skip Rev. Cason's class?

They stay in the bathroom for several hours. Signup and view all the answers

Where does Grandfather Moody stay all day?

His bed. Signup and view all the answers

What does Grandfather Moody do when Toosweet has no money for food?

He gives her some. Signup and view all the answers

What does Diddly have in the yard?

A knife. Signup and view all the answers

What does Toosweet do with Diddly's money?

She refuses it. Signup and view all the answers

What does their Uncle Ed give them?

A slingshot. Signup and view all the answers

Why do they like Uncle Ed so much?

He takes them out in the woods to hunt and be in nature. Signup and view all the answers

Where does Ed live?

A pasture with a pond. Signup and view all the answers

Who does Ed live with?

Grandma Winnie, his brothers Sam and Walter, and his sister Alberta. Signup and view all the answers

Who is George Lee now living with?

His dad and stepmother. Signup and view all the answers

What is shocking to Anne about Sam and Walter?

They are white. Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of Toosweet's second baby?

James. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to James?

He is taken by Miss Pearl and a soldier (Raymond). Signup and view all the answers

What high school does Anne attend?

Willis High, the only black high school in Centreville. Signup and view all the answers

What embarrassing thing happens to Adline and Junior?

Neighborhood kids see them playing naked in their yard. Signup and view all the answers

Who sets the house on fire the second time?

Junior. Signup and view all the answers

What is lost in the fire?

All the new Christmas clothes. Signup and view all the answers

What does Anne discover about the differences between white people's and black people's lives, and how?

After getting leftovers from a white family, she discovers that white people eat far better food than black people. Signup and view all the answers

Who visits the house once a week?

Raymond. Signup and view all the answers

How does Toosweet act after Raymond visits?

She becomes angry and irritated. Signup and view all the answers

What do Raymond's family think of Toosweet?

They dislike her and want Raymond to marry someone else. Signup and view all the answers

Why does Toosweet quit her job working for the white woman?

She was forced to work too hard and had back pain. Signup and view all the answers

Who does Mama find a job with after quitting working with the white woman and what is his job?

Mr. Johnson, a rancher. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Mr. Johnson's wife and what is her job?

Mrs. Johnson, a schoolteacher. Signup and view all the answers

Where do they live when Mama is working for Mr. Johnson?

A nice 2-room house in a white neighborhood. Signup and view all the answers

Who do the kids make friends with?

Neighborhood white kids. Signup and view all the answers

How do they experience segregation in the town?

They are not allowed to sit with their white friends at the movie theater. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when Anne tries to ask Mama about her two white uncles?

She doesn't answer and gets angry. Signup and view all the answers

When Mrs. Johnson is away, who does Anne stay with?

Miss Ola. Signup and view all the answers

Why do they like Miss Ola?

She makes them cookies and they help with chores. Signup and view all the answers

What does Anne learn about white people from Miss Ola?

White women all have black women working for them. Signup and view all the answers

How does Miss Ola help Anne?

She helps her get good grades in school. Signup and view all the answers

Who visits the house every other night?

Raymond, the soldier. Signup and view all the answers

How does Anne help Toosweet with her money problems?

She gets a job sweeping the old white lady's porch. Signup and view all the answers

What is Anne's second job?

She works for Ms. Claiborne, a Home Economics teacher at the white school. Signup and view all the answers

What does Anne learn from Ms. Claiborne?

She learns how to cook. Signup and view all the answers

Who does Anne eat dinner with?

Mr. and Mrs. Claiborne, a white couple. Signup and view all the answers

Who does Toosweet have a baby with?

Raymond. Signup and view all the answers

Where does the family move?

A house Raymond built for them. Signup and view all the answers

What bed does Anne want, and what does she get?

She wants a canopy bed, but gets a small bed with posts. Signup and view all the answers

Raymond's family likes Toosweet.

False Signup and view all the answers

What does Anne join during the school year?

The basketball team. Signup and view all the answers

Anne helps her team win the game.

False Signup and view all the answers

Who are the two women who deliver the babies of all the black women in the area, including Toosweet's?

Aunt Caroline and Aunt Mary Green. Signup and view all the answers

Christmas is a much better experience in Raymond's house.

True Signup and view all the answers

What church does Raymond take them to?

Centreville Baptist. Signup and view all the answers

What is Reverend Polk's background?

He went to prison for murder, where his hair turned white. Signup and view all the answers

Why does Toosweet quit Centreville Baptist?

She does not like going to church with Miss Pearl. Signup and view all the answers

What does Toosweet pester Anne about?

She wants her to join Mount Pleasant. Signup and view all the answers

What does Anne do at the church?

She joins it and asks to be baptized. Signup and view all the answers

What does Ray find in his field?

Old bullets and grenades. Signup and view all the answers

How do Ray's cotton plants do at first?

They don't grow as a result of little rain. Signup and view all the answers

What does Anne have a bad dream about?

She dreams that everyone dies working on Ray's farm. Signup and view all the answers

How does Ray's farm have a positive effect on the family?

They get to eat much better food. Signup and view all the answers

Besides picking cotton, how do the kids earn money?

They pick up pecans and sell them. Signup and view all the answers

What is Anne's job after school starts?

Doing chores for Linda Jean. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Linda Jean/Ms. Jennings's mother?

Mrs. Burke. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Mr. Jenkins?

The son of the racist sheriff. Signup and view all the answers

Mr. Jenkins is just as mean as his father.

False Signup and view all the answers

Who has a baby right before Mama has hers?

Linda Jean. Signup and view all the answers

What happens after Mama has her baby?

She gets married to Raymond. Signup and view all the answers

Who does Mama hide her marriage from?

Miss Pearl. Signup and view all the answers

What does Mama name her first baby she has while married to Raymond?

Raymond Jr. Signup and view all the answers

Raymond's farm does worse the second year than the first.

True Signup and view all the answers

What trend does Anne set at the school?

Wearing tight blue jeans. Signup and view all the answers

What are the results of the first election for homecoming queen?

Anne and two others are picked, and there is a money-raising competition to decide the winner. Signup and view all the answers

Who wins the contest for homecoming queen and how does she feel about it?

Anne wins, but she is sad because she has no money to buy a dress. Signup and view all the answers

Does she get a dress, and if so, how?

Diddly visits and gives her a beautiful dress he bought for her. Signup and view all the answers

How does her name get changed from Essie to Annie?

The county office sends the wrong one, and they are told there will be a fee to change it. Signup and view all the answers

Anne is the class valedictorian.

False Signup and view all the answers

Where does Raymond go and why?

He goes to California to get a job after his farm fails. Signup and view all the answers

How many babies does Mama have at this point?

<ol start="7"> <li></li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the baby?

Johnny. Signup and view all the answers

What is Raymond's new job?

Dealing plywood. Signup and view all the answers

Where does she start working?

Ms. Burke's. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Ms. Burke's mother?

Ms. Crosby. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Family Overview

Diddly (father) and Toosweet (mother) have two daughters: Anne (oldest) and Adline (youngest).
They live as sharecroppers on Mr. Carter's plantation.

Living Conditions

The family resides in a two-room shack next to Mr. Carter's house.
Diddly is known for gambling, especially enjoying shooting dice.

Key Characters

George Lee is Toosweet's 8-year-old brother, who dramatically impacts the family's events.
Bush, Diddly's friend, dies after being thrown off his wagon by his horses, marking a tragic moment in the narrative.

Family Dynamics

Tension arises when Diddly threatens George Lee after he injures Anne.
Toosweet exhibits signs of depression, attributed to her pregnancy, eventually giving birth to a son named Junior.

Moves and Employment

The family travels to Aunt Cindy's in a wagon, where Toosweet works for the Cooks, compensated with leftover food.
A transition to a black cafe job offers better wages in town, but involves helping Ms. Cook in exchange for housing.

Education and Community

Anne attends Mt. Pleasant Elementary, which is 4 miles from home, and Reverend Cason serves as the church minister.
The family faces educational constraints, as Anne and peers skip Rev. Cason's class by hiding in the bathroom.

Relationships and Friendship

Anne encounters segregation, making friends with neighborhood white kids while being denied seating together at the movies.
Miss Ola becomes a supportive figure, helping Anne achieve good grades.

Struggles and Support

Toosweet frequently faces financial hardships, prompting Anne to contribute by working cleaning jobs.
Despite challenges, the family experiences better food quality living near Raymond, despite the disapproval of his family toward Toosweet.

Major Events

Anne's ambitious involvement in school includes joining the basketball team, but she struggles to perform due to anxiety.
A significant shift occurs as Toosweet marries Raymond after the birth of their child, Raymond Jr., leading to more changes in family structure and dynamics.

The narrative highlights the ingrained racism of the time, viewed through Anne's experiences and observations regarding the food and living conditions of white families compared to black families.
Tensions with Raymond’s family and their dislike of Toosweet illuminate societal prejudices.

Academic Achievements

Anne's popularity in school grows with a trend of wearing tight blue jeans, and she competes in a homecoming queen contest.
Although she wins, financial constraints leave her feeling disappointed regarding her ability to dress for the occasion.

Conclusion and Family Growth

The story progresses through significant familial changes, with Mama having a total of seven children by the end.
Raymond's job in plywood represents economic mobility attempts, while Anne's job at Ms. Burke's symbolizes continued growth and adaptation in a challenging environment.

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Description

Explore key concepts and characters from Part 1 of 'Coming of Age in Mississippi'. This quiz features flashcards focusing on crucial details about the family structure, occupations, and living conditions presented in the book. Test your knowledge and understanding of the early narrative elements.