Theoharis’ biography of Rosa Parks aims to expose the life of the activist in a realistic, often harsh, way that illuminates the true life of this woman without any myths. Theoharis builds a case that Rosa Parks’ role in the Montgomery bus boycott was misunderstood in history. She combats the stereotypes of Rosa Parks by creating a common theme around the connotations of the word “tired”, highlights the notion that the issue of the bus boycott centered around gender issues and stereotypes of the time, and provides evidence that Rosa Parks’ impact on the Montgomery bus boycott was undermined.
Theoharis creates a common theme throughout the novel around the idea of being tired. The popular belief is that Rosa Parks refused to move simply because …show more content…
Jo Ann Robinson of the Women’s Political Council did not inform or wait for consent from Rosa to initiate the boycott movement, and she was not aware of Rosa’s political activity. Therefore, Rosa was not able to be part of the moment that truly sparked the movement. Theoharis argues an inconsistency that “Parks’ refusal to get up from her seat and the community outrage around her arrest were rooted in her long history of political involvement and their trust in her. However, this same political history got pushed to the background to further the public image of the boycott.” After the boycott, Rosa’s public appearances did little to strengthen the notion that she was an important piece of the inner workings of the boycott. In a visit to Highlander in 1956, Parks sat on a panel with “fellow Montgomerians… during the question-and-answer period, no one asked Parks any questions, furthering the misimpression that her role in the boycott was confined to the first day.” Many voices were louder than others, and Rosa’s, for one reason or another, was quieted after the boycott.
In her novel, Theoharis combats the stereotypes of Rosa Parks by creating a common theme around the connotations of the word “tired”, highlights the notion that the issue of the bus boycott centered around gender issues and stereotypes of the time, and provides evidence that Rosa Parks’ impact on the Montgomery bus boycott was undermined. Overall, Theoharis builds a case that Rosa Parks’ role in the Montgomery bus boycott was misunderstood in
Theoharis creates a common theme throughout the novel around the idea of being tired. The popular belief is that Rosa Parks refused to move simply because …show more content…
Jo Ann Robinson of the Women’s Political Council did not inform or wait for consent from Rosa to initiate the boycott movement, and she was not aware of Rosa’s political activity. Therefore, Rosa was not able to be part of the moment that truly sparked the movement. Theoharis argues an inconsistency that “Parks’ refusal to get up from her seat and the community outrage around her arrest were rooted in her long history of political involvement and their trust in her. However, this same political history got pushed to the background to further the public image of the boycott.” After the boycott, Rosa’s public appearances did little to strengthen the notion that she was an important piece of the inner workings of the boycott. In a visit to Highlander in 1956, Parks sat on a panel with “fellow Montgomerians… during the question-and-answer period, no one asked Parks any questions, furthering the misimpression that her role in the boycott was confined to the first day.” Many voices were louder than others, and Rosa’s, for one reason or another, was quieted after the boycott.
In her novel, Theoharis combats the stereotypes of Rosa Parks by creating a common theme around the connotations of the word “tired”, highlights the notion that the issue of the bus boycott centered around gender issues and stereotypes of the time, and provides evidence that Rosa Parks’ impact on the Montgomery bus boycott was undermined. Overall, Theoharis builds a case that Rosa Parks’ role in the Montgomery bus boycott was misunderstood in