Analysis of Good Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattilo - Book Report/Review Example

The book maps the entire story, from being taunted by the Whites in Little Rock’s Central High school to being threatened by a lynch mob’s rope and attacked in multiple ways, from throwing of acid to the throwing of sticks of dynamite. Perhaps the idea that the individual can make so much of a difference is one of the central ideas of this story. In this story, many things will strike any reader. One will understand that the book does not recount a story but actually explains a series of actual events in someone’s life.

The title of the book itself is highly interesting, something to be discussed. A specific quote from the book truly captured my attention, and I would like to analyze it through the course of the paper. According to many literary critics, the story is so powerful and has such an impact because of the idea that the story is real and has actually happened. It is not fiction – it is the reality. This factor raises a combination of feelings in the reader: awe, fear, and, of course, pain. Reading about the American Civil War in academic history books may make the reader well informed about the ‘history’, but the actual recounting by a specific person is what makes this entire story so horrific yet so touching.

Sometimes, objective analysis loses in the face of an emotionally gripping story. Moreover, various excerpts from the book also prove that the story is based on the facts, because Pattilo recounts a variety of information from the diary she has kept. A reaction of pain and tragedy is anticipated from any reader. David Homstrom, a critic for The Christian Science Monitor, called this book “a powerful, chilling account of what it was like to endure howling, redneck mobs, to be attacked physically and verbally, to be shot at, and to be continually hated and threatened” ("A Teacher's Resource for Warriors Don't Cry."). Furthermore, according to Donna L.

Cole of from the Library Journal, the story “recreates a time of fear and tenaciously held hopes” (“A Teacher's Resource”). The title of the book is particularly appealing, but it may baffle the reader at first glance. However, the explanation is provided in Chapter 6 by grandma India who, risking to sound cruel, tells Melba that she cannot cry because she has chosen to be a warrior, and it is not merely high school integration she is participating it – she is helping the liberation of an average African American person.

While the laws at that time had ruled in favor of African Americans, the social norms, especially in Little Rock, had remained the same. There were segregated schools for the African Americans and the Caucasian, which is one of the examples. Moreover, this title appealed to me because it is highly metaphorical. It represents the idea that all these people fighting against such discrimination are warriors or soldiers in a very dangerous war. In fact, according to grandma, Melba is a God’s warrior for the upholding of justice and liberty in the world.