Mr Will For Some Income example essay topic

718 words
The definition of adversity is a condition of distress or suffering; A stroke of misfortune. If you ask someone what their definition of adversity is, the answers may vary slightly. Some people who have had a lot of trouble in their life will probably have a different answer than someone who has had a much easier life. In the movie Places in the Heart, the three main characters each had their own adversities that they had to struggle with. The main character, Mrs. Spalding, played by Sally Field, had the "normal life" in that time. The husband was the sole provider for the family.

He took care of all the business of the household, and the punishment of the children when needed. The wife's role was to tend to stereotypical women's duties such as cooking and cleaning the house. When her husband was killed, everything changed. Since her husband had taken care of all the business of the household, she had no idea what she needed to do.

She had no money, no income, and no one to turn to. She did not want to split up her children, or to sell her house or farm. She rented out a room in her house to a blind man named Mr. Will for some income, but it was not enough to keep her house. So she ended up accepting help from a black drifter who had experience in farming cotton.

It was a lot of physical work and people told her that she was crazy, but she did what she had to do to make it work. Another main character in the movie was a drifter by the name of Moses. Moses was a black man living in the south in a very bad time. For one it was right in the middle of the Great Depression, and secondly, segregation was very bad at that time. He had no where to stay and no food. He came to Mrs. Spalding to try and do some chores for her in trade for meals and to stay in her shed outside.

She ended up taking him up on his offer. Moses was a man with much pride, but he also knew in society at that time he was not allowed to have an opinion. He helped Mrs. Spalding plant and harvest the cotton when everyone told her that it could not be done. Only they did it. I think it was a way for Moses to prove to the people that he was not just some "Negro", but a real person with the same capabilities as them. Mr. Will is the third main character.

He had been blinded in an accident in World War I and had to depend on others for care. He was really independent, considering his blindness. He made his living making brooms and caning chairs. His sister had him in a home since he came out of the war. He stayed there until it shut down and he had to move in with his sister and her husband. His sister really did not want to care for him and they volunteered for him to move in with Mrs. Spalding to help her with her mortgage.

Mr. Will had really become shut off from everyone else. He did not want anything to do with anyone. He was bitter and just wanted to be left alone. He had to learn how to trust people. When a tornado hit the farm, they all came together as a family, and took care of each other.

After some time with Mrs. Spalding and her family he learned to put trust in people. No matter what your problems are, big or small, they can be dealt with. The three main characters in the movie had their problems to deal with. Each one coped and overcame adversity in their own ways. Together they made each other stronger. They learned to look out for and to care for each other when no one else would.

Everyone will cope in their own ways.