Analysis Of The Book Mudbound By Hillary Jackson

Mudbound by Hillary Jackson The year is 1946 and Laura McAllan is doing her best to bring up her children Bella and Amanda. She lives in the Mississippi delta on her husband Henrys farm. Being raised in the city Laura is out of her comfort zone and is somewhat scared of her new environment. The family is struggling to get by when her husband’s brother, Jamie, and Ronsel, return from fighting in WWII. Jamie turns out to be the exact opposite of Henry. He is good looking, charming, and has dark side brought on by combat in WWII. Ronsel happens to be the son of the black sharecroppers who work and live on Henrys farm. He has returned to his family a war hero. He was an Army Sergeant who served under Patton. However, his time in the Army and his heroic acts defending his country in WWII did not matter in Mississippi. With Jim Crow laws in the south he was still seen as less than human. Ronsel and Jamie, both WWII veterans, formed an unlikely friendship; one that would not be easy to keep. This is a very powerful story that sheds light on the great injustices in American history caused by anything from Jim Crow to the KKK. I chose this book because it is a good example of how race and class influenced the lives of African Americans. Meritocracy is the system where everybody receives equal opportunity to be successful in life. It is well known during the time period in this book that was not the case. The race and class of the individual decided the opportunities at success they