Friendship

Mildred, Taylor. Friendship. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.

Friendship by Mildred Taylor is a story about a group of African American children living in Mississippi during the 1930’s. During the 1930’s segregation between blacks and whites was prominent and Cassie, the narrator, is no exception. In the novel Cassie’s mother does not allow her and her brothers to attend John Wallace’s store because of his attitude towards black people. Once encountering Mr. Tom Bee, an older black man, the children discover Tom and John have been friends for many years due to him saving John's life. Ultimately, John betrays his friendship with Tom shooting him in the leg.

Taylor chooses to depict topics such as racism and segregation through a child’s perspective. By Taylor choosing to portray these topics by a child, I believe it makes these issues more understanding for children. Racism and segregation are important and difficult concepts to grasp, but Cassie’s experiences and emotions allow children to further understand the time period. The novel not only includes history of the south, but principals about friendship as well. I think many children will be able to relate to the novel because of the concept of friendship being tested by peer pressure and betrayal.