Summary Of Warrior Don T Cry By Melba Pattillo

In the book Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, the author describes what her reactions and feelings are to the racial hatred and discrimination she and eight other African-American teenagers received in Little Rock, Arkansas during the desegregation period in 1957. She tells the story of the nine students from the time she turned sixteen years old and began keeping a diary until her final days at Central High School in Little Rock. The story begins by Melba talking about the anger, hatred, and sadness that is brought up upon her first return to Central High for a reunion with her eight other classmates. As she walks through the halls and rooms of the old school, she recalls the

1) Melba Patillo- “Nobody presents you with a handbook when your teething and says ‘Here’s how you must behave as a second class citizen.’ Instead, the humiliating expectations and traditions of segregation creep over you slowly stealing a teaspoonful of your self esteem each day.” (Page 3)

Throughout her experience, Melba’s views and attitudes changed quite a bit. When she first volunteered to be one of the first black students who would attend Central High School in Little

Little rock, Arkansas 1957 in Warriors don’t cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, her and eight other African American, high school students integrates Central High School. Only eight of the nine that begin at Central High lasted for the full year. Melba and her eight friends face new wars every day. These are some of the traits she uses to survive her year and overcome her enemies at Central High School. Melba relies on her courage, faith, and not only her physical strength, but her mental strength as well.

Tariq Ali once said, “It was civil disobedience that won them their civil rights.” In Melba Pattillo Beals’ narrative, “ Warriors Don’t Cry,” Melba defies all odds just by integrating to the all white Central High School in Little Rock. Through her novel, Melba is able to reminisce on the difficulties and struggles and the justice and inequality that occurs throughout Central High using figurative language. Though the author’s use of metaphors, similes and situational irony, the reader is able to pick up on Melba’s determination and obstacles she had to face in order to conquer and overcome integrating into Central High School.

In a heartbeat, without even thinking about it, I leaped up and picked up my books as a shield to fend him off.” Melba persevered through lot this day when this happened. The main thing that put her off the edge is when the kid pulled a switchblade knife on her. She persevered through that by fending off the kid. She also overcame at the same time, standing up for herself. She stood up for herself because she stood up against the white kids who were bullying her badly. That was one of the things that happened while she was segregating the all white school that she persevered through. Another thing that happened was she got rained on by flaming papers. “Once more I looked up to see those grinning, jeering faces as flaming paper rained down on me. Please, God, help me, I silently implored. I had to hurry. I might not be able to swat the next one and put it out with my hands. Then what? Would my hair catch fire? I had to stop them. I picked up my books and tossed one upward as hard as I could, in blind aim to hit my attackers.” She persevered through everything that the white kids threw at her. Like this one instant, she persevered through flames and pushed and shoved to get of the trouble that she was in.

Melba Pattillo Beals is the main character in this book. She was fourteen years old when she attended Central High in Little Rock, Kansas with eight other black students. While Melba attended the high school, she was spat on, slapped, and several sickening insults would be shouted at her. These actions led to Melba to not even fight back but to simply just say thank you and walk away. This was one of the factors that built up her courageous attitude that stuck with her throughout the rest of her journey.

At the beginning of her journey she had problems with the mobs outside of Central High School, yelling, threatening words and telling her to go home. “Two, four, six, eight, we ain’t gonna integrate! Over and over, the words rang out. The terrifying frenzy of the crowd was building like steam in an erupting volcano (36).” Melba

A personal story of discrimination, dedication, and salvation. Warriors Don't Cry is a gritty, impassioned memoir written by Melba Pattillo Beals. The memoir deals with Melba's childhood as she experiences racism and discrimination first-hand. Some segments of this book may be considered inappropriate for some readers. There is controversy surrounding whether or not the book is appropriate for school students, specifically tenth graders. I believe that Warriors Don't Cry is appropriate for tenth graders to read. This book is appropriate because it shows today's youth how different society was just few decades ago, and how long and difficult it was to get to where we are today. It is also an important reminder to keep striving for equality in our society today. Finally, this book shows how far dedication, determination, and sacrifice can actually go.

The last thing I have in common with Melba is my family is just as supportive as her family. I know for a fact that if I were to change schools to make the country a better place, my family would have my back the whole entire time. At the beginning, Melba’s family was skeptical about her going to this new school. They feared for her safety and her school career. My family would be the same way. Towards the middle of the book, Mother Lois was getting very frustrated with Melba going to a school full of people that hated her. My mother would’ve been the same way. In the end, her family did not regret their decision in sending Melba to Central High School.

The author's purpose for writing Warriors Don't Cry is tell a personal story of her own to remind the world when peace was no option for a black person. She wanted to have her story out in the world for others to learn and read from. Melba went through much in her life only because she was born different. While normal white teens had fun with boyfriends and went to parties, she went through a mental and physical war. Melba wrote her story with no sugar coating, she gave what she felt and what she did. She wanted to write a story where it would give the reader a glimpse at the life a colored person once went

Throughout history, Colored folks and White people do not seem to get along based on appearance.Men and women of color weren't treated fairly, no matter where they're at without being looked down upon. Most Americans have divided themselves into non-mixed neighborhoods. The “Jim Crow” laws on the state level stopped them from entering classrooms, bathrooms, theaters, trains, juries, and legislatures.Also, In the case of “Plessy v. Ferguson” in 1896, the U.S. Supreme court said that racially separate facilities are equal, it does not violate the Constitution. Segregation, the court said, was not a discrimination. Segregation supported the legal system and the police, but beyond the law, violence was going on around the citizens. The Ku Klux Klan, Knights of White Camellia, and other terrorists murdered thousands of African-Americans, to prevent them from voting and participating in public life. In Arkansas, Central High School was one of the firsts to integrate. Nine teenagers got together to go to Central High, they did not go in to protest but to get a better education. The Little Rock Nine didn't see it as a way to bring in violence, but it all started in Arkansas, in 1957, a conflict against two different points of views. However, In Warriors Don't Cry Melba Pattillo Beals presents the idea that emotional strength, Determination, and confidence are necessary to gain freedom and equality for all.

Melba Pattillo Beals is a very determined young lady. She presents many strong personal characteristics in her time of integrating Central High School. However, she faces many adversities through this battle for her freedom and equality. During her rough time Beals questions her faith and family. She later learns that her strength and security is in God. In the book Warriors Don’t Cry Melba Pattillo Beals presents the idea that courage, faith, and fear are vital in her search for freedom and equality.

It is often said that kids don’t usually understand race or racism, and that is true until Janie is met with kids who have faced oppression all their lives. Janie is a young girl who is raised by her grandmother in the deep South during the 1930’s. Janie lives among many white kids and doesn’t realize that she is not white until she sees a photo of the children and cannot identify herself in the picture. “Dat’s where Ah wuz s’posed to be, but Ah couldn’t recognize dat dark chile as me. So Ah ast, ‘where is me?’ Ah don’t see me’”(9). Janie didn’t know that she was a black girl because she had always been treated the same as the white kids, and they never treated her any differently than anyone else. The only kids that ever abused her with their words were the other black kids at school, they always teased her for living in

On the first day that Melba Patillo Beals went to school, she thought it was a nightmare. There was a huge mob outside Central High School, along with the Arkansas National Guard soldiers keeping them out. The image of Elizabeth Eckford really shows how it was. White people were surrounding them, cursing at them, of course saying the word “nigger”, and occasionally striking them (1994). It was so bad that Melba had to take the keys to their car from her mother and run away to escape. Imagine the sight of Melbas mother screaming at her “Melba, take the keys. Get to the car.