Books That Inspire 2002
 
Uncle Tom's Children
Richard Wright


Reading Uncle Tom's Children was a difficult experience for me. It was difficult to fathom how human beings could treat one another with such harsh brutality. How can inspiration be found in this? Readers can be inspired by understanding how blacks of that era exhibited strength and determination to survive, and used ingenuity to further their standard of living. One example of such ingenuity comes directly from Uncle Tom's Children author Richard Wright - in order to obtain books from the library, he requested materials on behalf of his white employer, since at that time blacks were not permitted to use the library's services. Such stories illustrate how people persevered during such a dark era of American history, and managed to survive despite the odds against them. Reading Uncle Tom's Children has inspired me to read more about United States history, and to learn more about the contributions of black authors to American literature. I am also inspired to make sure that children in my community know that there are many authors to choose from, and that they are not limited to reading only the books presented to them in classrooms today.
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Cynthia J Morris
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