Fire from the Rock is a great book that I would definitely recommend to others. It is set in 1957 Little Rock, Arkansas, a city boiling over racial segregation. Black and white youths are hot blooded and hot tempered, and many adults fan these flames of anger and violence. The protagonist is fifteen-year-old Sylvia Patterson, a fictional character who loves boys, music, and poetry. She has the opportunity to be one of the first nine African American students to integrate the all-white Central High School, but Sylvia is not excited about this and fears she is not brave enough. However, her brother really wants to be on the list and will do anything to get on it. Just a few days later, Sylvia's brother gets beaten up by three white boys. This makes Sylvia doubt the idea even more.
One thing I loved about this book is that I feel like I really know and understand the characters and what they go through. I also think it is an interesting choice to show Sylvia’s connection with a Jewish girl; she realizes the hatred and bigotry is not aimed only at blacks, but at Jewish people, too. Readers will be shocked to learn about the fear and ignorance of the Arkansas Governor and others who opposed integration.
Sylvia's family experiences hatred, racism, and violence, but manages to support each other. Sylvia finally builds up enough courage to tell her teacher, Miss Washington, if she will face the challenge and be part of the historic group, The Little Rock Nine. This emotional and realistic novel will take you on a roller coaster of emotions. I recommend the ride!
The Little Rock Nine
One of the most famous cases of integration is the story of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. On September 4th, 1957, the first day of school at Central High, a white mob gathered in front of the school, and Governor Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the black students from entering. In response to Faubus’ action, a team of NAACP lawyers, including Thurgood Marshall, filed a court injunction to prevent the governor from blocking the students’ entry. With the help of police escorts, the students successfully entered the school through a side entrance on 23 September 1957. Fearing escalating mob violence, however, the students were rushed home soon afterward.
Observing the standoff between Faubus and the federal judiciary, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sent a telegram to President Eisenhower urging him to “take a strong forthright stand in the Little Rock situation.” King told the president that if the federal government did not take a stand against the injustice it would “set the process of integration back fifty years. This is a great opportunity for you and the federal government to back up the longings and aspirations of millions of peoples of good will and make law and order a reality” (King, 9 September 1957). Aware that the Little Rock incident was becoming an international embarrassment, Eisenhower ordered troops from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division to protect the students, who were shielded by federal troops and the Arkansas National Guard for the remainder of the school year. In a 25 September telegram, King praised the president’s actions: “I wish to express my sincere support for the stand you have taken to restore law and order in Little Rock, Arkansas.”
Based on the texts provided, which statement is accurate?
A)Governor Faubus was angered by Draper's novel because of its negative portrayal of him.
B)The actions of the governor in Draper's story are based on the historical record of the actions of Governor Faubus.
C)Draper set her novel in 1957 in Arkansas, but the governor in her story does not share the same opinions or take the same actions as the historical Governor Faubus.
D) Draper gives the governor in her story a different name and physical description, but that character shares the same opinions or take the same actions as the historical Governor Faubus.
B
Based on the texts provided, which statement is accurate?
A)Fire from the Rock includes the actual life experiences of Sylvia Patterson.
B)The novel creates the fictional group, The Little Rock Nine, to add drama and conflict.
C)Fire from the Rock shares the real life experiences of one of The Little Rock Nine.
D)The novel is a realistic but fictional story based on historical events during a time of conflict.
c
A comparison and contrast of these texts shows that
A)Draper uses an actual historical event to create a character's conflict based on those events.
B)to add dramatic conflict, Draper makes many changes to the historical account of integration.
C)Draper chooses the hot and extreme climate of a southern state to highlight the heated conflict of integration.
D)Draper writes a story that avoids the violence that occurred during the struggles to integrate American schools.
b or c
2.B
3.A
Right on #1, wrong on #2 and #3
3 is a just took test!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A) Draper uses an actual historical event to create a character's conflict based on those events.
B) to add dramatic conflict, Draper makes many changes to the historical account of integration.
C) Draper chooses the hot and extreme climate of a southern state to highlight the heated conflict of integration.
D) Draper writes a story that avoids the violence that occurred during the struggles to integrate American schools.
The correct answer is A) Draper uses an actual historical event to create a character's conflict based on those events. The book Fire from the Rock is set during the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957, which was a real historical event. The protagonist, Sylvia Patterson, is a fictional character who experiences the conflict and challenges associated with this historical event.