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Emancipation Proclamation
"Y'all free. Proclamation papers just come to me and say y'all free as I am." This is important to the development of Jane as a character because if she had not had freedom. She would still be stuck in slavery all her life. Either at the same plantation or sold to a different one.
More information on the Emancipation Proclamation -
Mr. Brown
"Well, from now on your name is Jane. Not Ticey no more. Jane. Jane Brown. Miss Jane Brown. When you get older you can change it to whatever you want. But till then you name is Jane Brown"(8). This is a significant event in the lifespan of Miss Jane Pittman because it decides her name for the rest of her life. -
Massacre
"I saw people laying everywhere. All of them was dead or dying, or so broken up they wouldn't ever move on their own. " This is an important event because if Big Laura was not killed Jane would not have had to take care of Ned when she was just a child herself. The Secesh Army had done this. -
Bone's Plantation
This event is significant because if Jane hadn't decided to stay on Bone's plantation, she would not have met Joe Pittman. If she hadn't met Joe, her last name would not be Pittman. "When Joe Pittman asked me to be his wife I told him I wanted to think about it a while. Because I didn't want to tell him I was barren." -
Ned Leaves
"He held me close. He was so tall and thin. I could feel him crying, but I held up till her was gone. I stood in the door and watched him till he had gone out the quarters, then I went back inside and laid down on the bed. And I cried all night." This event is significant because if Ned had not have left, he might have had to give up what he loved or he would be killed. -
Joe Pittman's Death
"The stallion had jecked him off his horse and had dragged him through the swamps. When they found him he was tangled in the rope, already dead." Joe's death is important because if Joe hadn't died, Miss Jane wouldn't want to move to Samson like she did and she would have never met Jimmy, "The One." -
Ned Comes Home and is Assassinated
"That war ended in 1898. He came here that next summer. And a year later, almost to the day, Albert Cluveau shot him down." Ned appearance at Jane's house is significant because if he hadn't come home he would not hNed's arrival at Jane's house is an important event because if he hadn't come home he wouldn't have been killed by Albert Cluveau. Jane also would probably not have found the church if Ned hadn't come home because Ned's death inspired her to find her religion. -
Miss Jane Moves to the Samson Plantation
Jane moving to the Samson plantation is valuable to her journey throught life because if she didnt't move there, she wouldn't have met Jimmy or truly seen how bad racial segregation was. "He [Tee Bob] killed himself before he learned how he was supposed to live in this world." -
Miss Jane Finds Religion
"But after Ned was killed I knowed I had nothing else in the world but the Lord." This event is significant because Jane finding her religion helped Jane fill the emptiness inside her from her dead son Ned. -
Jimmy "The One" is Born
"People's always looking for somebody to come lead them." This event is important to Jane's life because Jimmy reminded her of Ned and that is why she supports him so much. Jimmy is almost like a new son to Jane. Jane gets into the Civil Rights Movement for both Ned and Jimmy. -
Miss Jane Joins the Civil Rights Movement
"Just a little piece of him is dead. The rest of him is waiting in Bayonne. And I will go with Alex." Miss Jane decides to still go to Bayonne to support Jimmy even though he is dead. She will keep his ideas alive.Civil Rights Movement Timeline -
Jimmy Dies
"They shot him eight o'clock this morning." This is significant to Jane's life because if Jimmy had not died, he would have been able to continue the Civil Rights Movement and Jane would have been more involved and she might have died sooner.
