white lilacs book prog

White Lilacs
by
Carolyn Meyer


I predict that . . . the Jefferson family will have many more harsh times ahead. I think this because they are already struggling to bring home enough money to get by. And I also think that Henrys attitude will get him in trouble and put more stress on the family.

If this was a movie I'd title it . . . Freedom, unless it was narrated then I would use White Lilacs because you would need to here Rose Lee¹s thoughts to understand the title White Lilacs. I also think that the movie would be more interesting if it was narrated.

If you reversed . . . the point of view from Rose Lee to Catherine Jane the story wouldn¹t be as interesting. This would happen because the story would be about a black community from a white perspective.


The protagonist in WHITE LILACS is Rose Lee Jefferson.





CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

?
The antagonist in WHITE LILACS it the whole white community except Catherine Jane and Emily Frith.







CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

?
In WHITE LILACS the main conflict is weither the black community in Dentin, Texas will have to move to another place against their will.

the secondary conflicts are:

- Rose Lee had to learn to set the table right. If she did not she would be fired.

- Henry was mouthing off white people. This eventually led to him being tared and feathered. His family had to find a place for him to hide so nothing else would happen to him.

- The citizens of the black community (Freedom) had to find a new place to go to school because the white people had burned the colored school down. This happened because of the fact that no people were moving out of Freedom.

- Rose Lee¹s parents had a harder time getting enough money to survive. This is after they moved out of Freedom.

- Grandfather Jim had a hard time replanting his ³Garden Of Eden² after they moved. Not just because of the poor soil conditions but he never could replace the real ³Garden Of Eden²

- The close friends and family of Rose Lee had a great morning to overcome. Due to the death of Grandfather Jim and the fact that they had lost so much.


The time of the book is in the spring through the fall in the year of 1921. This is until the end when Rose Lee grows up and moves away.

The place the story is set in is Dentin, Texas mostly in Freedom (until it is destroyed) or in Mr. and Mrs. Bells house or yard.

The mood of WHITE LILACS is a combination of anger, confusion, despair, hopelessness, sorrow, joy and being belittled.

The theme of WHITE LILACS is that ³you should not take things for granted things could get worse soon². Or it can be a cold cruel world out there especially if you are black.


PLOT SUMMARY
In the beginning of the book WHITE LILACS you meet Roes lee Jefferson.

- Rose Lee has to go work for Mrs. Bell because other sister being pregnant
- She over hears a conversation to get of the black community and replace it with a park.
- Rose Lee tells her parents of what she heard and soon the whole black community is filled with anger, confusion, despair, and hopelessness.
- Dentin has a vote to see if there will be a park but rig it so that only property owners can vote.
this gives about three to one odds for the park.


The decision is made and the town buys the properties of Freedom at a fraction of their worth, and moves the houses in freedom to another part of town.

There is a brief overview of the rest of Rose Lees life, and trails off talking about of her grandfathers prized white lilac.