What is your biggest takeaway from reading Dust Tracks on a Road thus far?
That hardship is just obstacles you go through. Although Zora didn’t have much, especially when she was on her own in her teenage years, she learned to fend for herself. Also, her drive and passion for education are responsible for how far she’s gotten. Dust Tracks on a Road taught me that hard work does pay off. It also taught me that not even race, financial hardships, or my upbringing can hold me back from succeeding.
What are some major themes/major concepts you have identified? How do you relate or do not relate to them?
The perception of women as weak:
I highly feel as though Zora’s “ feminist persona” in the book was inspired by men all around her. For example, her father made this statement along the lines that there’s no point in fighting a poor weakly woman. With Zora’s feisty personality, I’m not surprised if she challenged men’s way of thinking. I’m personally not a feminist, but I wouldn’t agree with men’s perception of women in that era either.
You don’t always need your parents:
When Zora was forced to fend for herself, she learned to grow up at a young age. To support herself, she became a maid and an intern for a traveling actress. She also had help here and there. Although taking care of yourself on your own at a young age is tough, it isn’t impossible. Now that I’m in college on my own, there are several things that no longer require my parent’s help and that’s totally fine.
A rough background doesn’t determine your future:
There are many well-known people like athletes and celebrities who’s had rough backgrounds. But they didn’t let that hinder their success. Neither did Zora. Even when financial hardships threatened her education, she found a way around it. Did she expect to be a highly recognized black author around the United States later in her career? It was probably a dream of hers a first but she made that dream become reality. Few people act on their dreams. She encourages me to act on my dreams.
Describe the value* behind having freshman students read Dust Tracks on a Road?
Freshmen’s can use Zora’s experience and eagerness to achieve and apply it while they are in college (and even beyond college). They can overcome the situations they were brought up in and become successful. But as Zora demonstrated to us, it requires a drive and motivation to succeed. For example, when financial hardships threatened her education at Howard University, an opportunity to attend Barnard College to continue her education on a scholarship opened up after publishing some of her short stories. If students overall can use her story as motivation to continue their education, no matter if financial hardships come knocking at their door, opportunities will most likely come and so will success if they strive for them.
How has/will the knowledge gained from reading Dust Tracks on a Road assist you in being successful as a freshman student at UCF?
The information I obtained from this book will encourage me to keep pushing through in college. If a black woman (Zora), was able to become successful during an era of discrimination, segregation and racism, now that things aren’t as intense as the past, what can hold me back from becoming successful in my era? The way I perceive this, the only thing that would be holding me back really is myself and fear. My generation is blessed with so many opportunities and if Zora was still alive and had the chance to speak to me, I feel as though she’d encourage me to take advantage of good opportunities and of UCF and utilize them to succeed.
