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 she was physically tired from a long day, a myth that Theoharis tries hard to dispel; “Parks explained her protest as an intrinsic part of the political work she already was doing, vehemently denying that her protest stemmed simply from physical fatigue.” “Simply put, Parks was tired of injustice-- ‘tired of giving in’-- and in that tiredness found determination.” Theoharis combats the stereotype of Rosa staying in her seat because she was tired by showing examples of Rosa and other movement leaders using the word tired, as in to be exasperated. The notion of being physically tired, however, was used to the advantage of both black and white communities for shaping their respective agendas. It would be dangerous for Rosa to be known for her activism, and hiding her away was safer for blacks (and Rosa) because they would not receive as much backlash from the white community. Theoharis illustrates this backlash by giving examples of nasty phone calls, violence, bombings, and many other things done to activists in the 1950s. It was also more acceptable for the white community to have Rosa …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 she was physically tired from a long day, a myth that Theoharis tries hard to dispel; “Parks explained her protest as an intrinsic part of the political work she already was doing, vehemently denying that her protest stemmed simply from physical fatigue.” “Simply put, Parks was tired of injustice-- ‘tired of giving in’-- and in that tiredness found determination.” Theoharis combats the stereotype of Rosa staying in her seat because she was tired by showing examples of Rosa and other movement leaders using the word tired, as in to be exasperated. The notion of being physically tired, however, was used to the advantage of both black and white communities for shaping their respective agendas. It would be dangerous for Rosa to be known for her activism, and hiding her away was safer for blacks (and Rosa) because they would not receive as much backlash from the white community. Theoharis illustrates this backlash by giving examples of nasty phone calls, violence, bombings, and many other things done to activists in the 1950s. It was also more acceptable for the white community to have Rosa …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