Trials Of The Earth Analysis

Trials of the Earth, a memoir authored by Mary Mann Hamilton, describes the incredible struggle that Mary Mann Hamilton and her family endured throughout the entirety of her life while moving throughout the Mississippi Delta. Throughout the memoir, Hamilton goes into great depth describing the trials and tribulations each year brought to her family and families they met along their journey. This account on life in the Mississippi Delta during the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century shows how women were extremely driven and motivated people who strived to accomplish numerous goals. The work Hamilton and countless other women completed inside and outside of the household was invaluable to the continuation …show more content…
She always had a willingness to learn new things, especially when the new things involved cooking. One scene in particular that sticks out is when Frank hired a German cook, Stine, to cook for the Hamilton family and the workers they were boarding. At first, Stine gave strict orders for Mary Mann Hamilton to stay out of his way and out of the kitchen when he was cooking. Eventually, Stine had a change of heart and decided to teach Mary Mann Hamilton how to be a more successful cook. She took Stine’s teachings and used it after he left to cook for her family and whoever boarded with them. Mary Mann Hamilton explained to Stine that she “had at least twenty men cooks and from every one I have learned something that was such a help to me, till I began to think I knew it all, but since you came I feel as if I know nothing at all about cooking.” Since Mary Mann Hamilton was so curious and was willing to learn different culinary techniques, it turned her into a more successful cook, which helped her be more successful when earning money cooking for other groups of men. Mary Mann Hamilton, just like many other women of this time, had a work ethic that drove her to be more successful when completing household