The author of Mississippi Trial, 1955, Chris Crowe tells the story of Hiram, a boy who returns to Greenwood, Mississippi, to visit his Grandfather. As he reminisces and tries to go back in time, he finds that much has changed since he was a child living in the South. He begins to realize that there have been many changes in South since he was a boy. The realization hit him hard as a brick. Hiram is brutally killed by an African American boy whom he had been friends with. Hiram must fight for what is right. When his closest friends reveal the truth to him, he can rely on instincts. By confronting injustices, he develops both moral consciousness and social consciousness.
Crowe’s book centres on segregation. The story revolves around the discrimination against different skin colours and how they’re treated. Hiram observes how African Americans were treated in Mississippi when he visits the Grandfather. They were treated poorly, looked down upon and judged by prejudiced whites. Hiram is forced to make difficult choices when a murderous and brutal act of violence against a black boy occurs in his community. Because of its impact on Hiram’s beliefs and feelings, this main conflict is significant. Hiram, for example, was a young boy who believed that white people were “above” African Americans. This was an unfortunate understanding of race back in those days. Hiram’s new views on segregation and the separation of races are a shock to him. His initial state was that of a typical boy trapped in a dark cave and without access to sunlight or freedom. Crowe’s book is full of a significant allegory, focusing on the lack education regarding equality, the world and other races. Hiram believed that this was the reason why his father was so mad about segregation and the South. He may have realized that bullies always found someone to pick on, even if it was the Negroes. This evidence proves Hiram’s realization that his father was correct about isolation in the south. When he first considers the horrors of the past and the ways that were once considered the norm, the protagonist’s perspective shifts. Hiram has to reconsider his preconceived opinions when the issue of segregation or separation of colored peoples surfaces.
Another reason why segregation conflict is so critical is its impact on Hiram’s decision to speak up. Hiram faced a tough decision after the newspaper reported the death of the black teenager. Or to reveal what he knows about the murder and to give his suspects to Mississippi’s biased police force. Hiram is forced to choose between doing the right thing and following the rules. He thinks about this for nine days before muttering “Nine Days.” There are nine days to decide whether I would tell truth if forced to take the witness stand” (149). This is how Hiram feels about himself. Adults as well teens are often affected by internal conflicts. These turmoil can affect us all, regardless of our age, gender, and nationality. Hiram is affected by the conflict and how he chooses to proceed in the trial.
Segregation is the central conflict of Mississippi Trial, 1955. This theme is crucial to the story. It contributes in many ways to the story. Indeed, it affects Hiram’s motivations and action. It also helps to keep the story moving. Hiram can choose between right or wrong choices because of the conflict in segregation. Hiram wouldn’t have faced the tough decisions regarding the murder trial without the notion of separation.
