Autobiography miss jane pittman sparknotes
The novel centers on Miss Jane Pittman as she recounts her life from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement, offering a firsthand account of racial injustice..
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman () is a fictional oral narrative written by Ernest J. Gaines.
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The novel begins with an introduction in which the editor explains the process of writing it.
The subject of the novel, Miss Jane Pittman agreed to tell him her story in 1962, after years of persuading her. The writer, who is also a teacher, wants to hear her side of the story feeling that history often omits certain things.
Miss Jane is more than one hundred years old as she recounts all the circumstances of her life as a slave and later as a free woman.When Miss Jane begins to tell her story, she is already over 100 years old and sometimes forgets certain things. Because of this, the story is not necessarily Miss Jane’s story but rather the story of a community that applies to many people.
The editor also reveals that sadly, Miss Jane died before the novel was finished.
The first chapter presents Miss Jane Pittman as a child and slave working for her mistress. When Yankees soldier pass by the house where she lives, she is asked what her name is.
When the child says