A New Perspective on the Post-Civil War Era

In my English class, we just finished a study of the book, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, a historical fiction novel that has definitely widened my perspective of what life was like for the black Americans.  One idea in particular that I learned from reading this novel is that after the slaves were freed, their lives were no better, if not worse, than what they were as slaves.  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman continually shows examples of how the slaves encountered discrimination, hatred, and segregation even after they were freed.  An example from the novel is when Jane and her “son” Ned are traveling to Ohio and come across a white woman who, although claims to be a “God-fearing woman”, tells them that she hates the blacks and that they are responsible for the mess America is in.  It also amazed me at how much endurance the blacks had, even after they were continually degraded and dehumanized by many whites.  Many of them did not give up or lose hope of a better life, but they continued their lives on with a purpose. Although I knew that black Americans were discriminated against after the war was over, I did not realize the extremity and severity of it until I read this novel.