Grandmother

’s Victory Essay, Research Paper

“Grandmother’s Victory” by Maya Angelou and To Kill A Mockingbird by

Harper Lee have many significant similarities. Both authors deal with issues

such as racism and discrimination towards blacks. The authors show the

ignorance and bigotry displayed between the races in the late 1930’s. The

main characters in “Grandmother’s Victory” are: Grandmother Henderson,

Maya Angelou, Miz Helen, Miz Ruth, and Miz Eloise who are known as

“powhitetrash”. The main characters in “To Kill A Mockingbird” are:

Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, Scout Finch, Tom Robinson, and Mrs. Dubose.

The authors show how each character deals with the issues at hand, yet each

story has its own unique style of a “victory”.

“Grandmother’s Victory” takes place in Arkansas around the late

1930’s. “To Kill A Mockingbird” takes place in Alabama also around the late

1930’s. The late 30’s in the South was very difficult (to say the least) for

black folks. Grandmother Henderson and Maya are experiencing racism

from three lower class white girls. “If they come in the store, you go in the

bedroom and let me wait on them. They only frighten me if you’re around.”

Atticus and the children are experiencing harassment from other white folks,

for defending a “nigger” named Tom Robinson. “But Mrs. Dubose held us:

“Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for

niggers!” These quotes show the attitude of most whites towards blacks in

this time period. There is a very interesting difference in these two stories.

In Grandmother’s Victory it is white children harassing the blacks. This

scenario is the case you usually hear about. However, in To Kill A

Mockingbird it is whites harassing other whites for befriending a black. The

most common name for Atticus was “nigger lover”.

Atticus doesn’t mind the names or being harassed when he is alone. It

bothers Atticus when people would harass Jem and Scout. Atticus teaches

his children to treat everyone equal and to ignore the people who don’t agree.

Grandmother Henderson does the same thing with Maya. Grandmother

teaches Maya to ignore the harassment and not to sink to their level. If you

lose your cool and start fighting back, the problem will never go away. The