Read the excerpt from Black Boy. Then my father was called; he came forward jauntily, smiling. He tried to kiss my mother, but s
he turned away from him. I only heard one sentence of what he said. “I’m doing all I can, Your Honor,” he mumbled, grinning. It had been painful to sit and watch my mother crying and my father laughing and I was glad when we were outside in the sunny streets. Back at home my mother wept again and talked complainingly about the unfairness of the judge who had accepted my father’s word. What societal norm of the early twentieth century does this excerpt reflect?
It is important to understand why an author is writing something. As a reader, knowing the purpose or intent that the writer has for creating the piece of work helps you EVALUATE it better.
