Statement of Purpose
The book is devoted to the description of significant changes in the USA which happened during the life of Mary McLeod Bethune. It centers around the political system of the USA and the role which women played in it. Moreover, some feministic ideas are shown here for readers to understand better the peculiarities of the movement in which the main heroine of the book was involved. The work also shows the life of the outstanding woman who influenced the development of tolerance in the USA greatly.
One of the main purposes of the book is to promote the increase of the level of knowledge about the life of Mary McLeod, her activity, and her struggle for the rights of women and black people on the whole. The book aims at supplying a reader with all information he/she can need about this figure, her main ideas, and the contribution she made to the development of democracy and tolerance in the country.
Moreover, the author wants to show peculiarities of the epoch in which the heroine lived and the difficulties she had to overcome. The author tends to show a reader that a person can influence the development of the whole country greatly. That is why great attention is given to biographical details.
The book is written by Joyce Hanson who works at California State University. She received her Ph.D. in 1997 and since that time she has created a great number of works devoted to the issues of history, feminism, and policy. Moreover, she is known for a great number of publications in different academic journals. Taking all these facts into account, it is possible to say that the book can be taken as a very credible source.
Analysis and Argument
The book describes the time period in which Mary McLeod Bethune lived. However, the main accent is made on the events which took place at the age of blistering development of womens activism in America. The author of the book wants to show readers all peculiarities of the USA at the beginning of the 20th century. That is why the life of Mart McLeod is described in detail. It helps readers to understand the customs and traditions of the American society of those times better. Moreover, the life of the main heroine serves as a good background which helps to see problems connected with race and gender discrimination distinctively.
The author also describes some actions of Mary McLeod which can seem rather controversial, however, they make a reader think about the online of the main character and her unusual approach to some issues (Hanson 69). The book also describes not only her struggle for the rights of women. However, McLeods attempts to achieve equal rights for all black people, especially in Southern states (Hanson 24), are described. Additionally, the activity of some black women’s organizations is shown in the book. That is why, it is possible to say, that the work touches the most important moments of the life of Mary McLeod and her struggle for the rights of women and black people.
Critique
Several words should also be said about the organization of the book and the way in which information is presented. First of all, it should be said that the authors writing style is rather simple and can easily be understood. The information presented in the book is rather interesting and it is well structured and organized. It is easy to follow the author and trace all stages of the development of the womens movement for rights and feminism in the USA.
Moreover, a great number of credible sources were used by the author to supply the work with clear evidence. That is why the information presented in the book is easily accepted. There is a great number of references that can help to find sources used by the author if a person is interested in them. There are no pictures or graphs in the book, however, this fact cannot be taken as a great disadvantage.
Additionally, it should be said, that the language used in the book is quite simple and understandable. That is why people with different levels of involvement in the issue can understand the main points of the book easily.
Conclusion
Having read the book, it is possible to make a certain conclusion. First of all, it should be said that the author managed to achieve her main goal which was to promote the increase of the level of knowledge about the history of the feminist movement in the USA in the first half of the 20th century. Moreover, the author manages to create a clear image of Mary McLeod, her life, and her activity. Additionally, it should be said that a good organization of the book promotes a better understanding of its content and increases the level of interest among readers.
The book is likely to appeal to people who are interested in this issue. The information presented in the book can serve as a good starting point from which further investigations of the issue of feminism and the civil rights movement are possible. Taking these facts into account, it is possible to recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the history of the USA and feminism.
Works Cited
Hanson, Joyce. Mary McLeod Bethune and Black Women’s Political Activism. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri. 2003. Print.