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Tiffany D Jackson Quotes

Decent Essays

Morgan Voss
English IV
Ms. Gawith
2 October 2017
A New Beginning A nine year old girl is prone to dress dolls, have play dates with her friends and enjoy life as a child, this isn’t the case for Mary B. Addison. In the novel Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson, the main character begins her young journey in baby jail for a crime thrown onto her. After being convicted of murdering a three month old baby, Mary faces obstacles, such as baby jail and a girls’ home. In the girls’ home, Mary has to make a decision on whether she wants to clear her charges or live as a murderer. Stereotypically, girls like Mary face prejudice for actions they may or may not have committed, controversially, Mary acts unlike the other teenagers in her girls’ home trying …show more content…

She didn’t have a stable father figure, just men in and out of her and her mother's lives. Mary continued to play an adult role, considering she made sure the bills were paid on time and making sure her mom always had enough money. “I always counted the out the rent money Momma kept in the coffee can above the stove. We were always short and Momma would yell at me for counting it wrong. I counted right; we were just short” (Jackson 35). Coming from a lonely and abusive home Mary had to find happiness outside of her house. Her mom made a friend from their church and she happened to have a three month year old baby. Mary always occupied the Richardson’s by helping with baby Alyssa, while also distracting herself from reality. Meeting the Richardson’s ended up being Mary’s worst nightmare. One night the Richardson’s went out and asked Mary and her mother to watch Alyssa. Mary went into Alyssa’s room to check on her and found her dead. Mary’s mother soon went into shock and called the …show more content…

These were the headlines of every newspaper, magazine and news channels. “A little black girl who kills some little white baby? Man, that kid was famous, face all over the news“ (Jackson 47). Mary endured investigation and interrogation from different detectives to find out the truth. She also had psychologists talk to her to try and understand what drove Mary to murder this innocent baby. Mary had been interviewed to the point where she shut down and couldn’t answer anymore questions. She sat in silence when detectives would investigate her, unable to tell them what happened. Mary eventually fell guilty and started her journey to baby jail where she began a sentencing. The other juvenile delinquents and CO’s, or guards, of baby jail mistreated Mary because of the accusations people made. Mary’s back story consisted of murdering a baby and now that’s how people characterized and treated her, like a murderer. Baby jail happened to be the beginning of Mary’s pursuit to clear her

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