Question

A. After reading Mebane's story "The Back of the Bus": 1. How do paragraphs 1 & 2 introduce the story? 2. How does the author set historical context (cite specific example from the story). 3. How does the author set emotional context? (cite specific example from the story).

Answer 1

Ans.1 paragraph 1 and 2 is giving details about the repealing of segregation law that was present in the southern US states. Mary Mabene says that she was the last generation staying under total segregation law. When the Supreme Court outlawed the segregation law in 1954 in public schools she was twenty-one years old. After 10 years in 1964 when congress passed the bill to completely ban the segregation in public places, that is park and transportation she was 31 years old.

She says that the segregating law had remained in force for a very long period and it has a psychological impact on those who had lived during that era. The blacks were segregated in all aspects of life they had a separate place in white-dominated buses their houses were separated. The black’s life was hell and they were at the bottom of society. The white supremacy was evident. The experience of her childhood and adulthood remained throughout her life. The blacks could not move freely and in the event of breaking the law they had to face the police custody and perils

2. The author cited the example of the bus ride. The blacks had a separate portion at the back of the. The front portion of the bus was especially for white passengers. The white people had the liberty to sit on the black people's seat, or the seat that was marked as no man land, where the first priority was given to the white people. A white passenger can sit anywhere but the black had no place other than the back of the bus. The segregation law had degraded the colored people. The rich people use to take the bus to avoid searching the spot for car parking.

Usually, the colored and poor people use to travel by bus and few rich people use to take the bus ride.

3. The emotional content the author has mentioned is by writing about the weather that was becoming a little warmer and the people had started coming out in the sun. The town was getting washed, it was looking neat and clean. The offices were opening; the grocery shops and banks were opening. The town was lively and people had started their day.

She had mentioned that she never mind taking a ride on Saturday or Sunday because on those days the buses are usually empty, and she could get the seat to and fro.