Ethan’s Reviews > And Still We Rise:: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-City Students > Status Update

In "And We Still Rise" by Miles Corwin, Ms. Little finally had an epiphany, realizing "the kids are on [her] side" and they "love and care about" her (Corwin 288). This seemed like it would never happen and she would continue to spiral downward, but for a brief moment, she was enthusiastic about teaching again.

Often throughout her career, Ms. Little tells her students that the "'inciting moment' that compelled her to be a teacher" was when she heard a speech by JFK, telling Americans to "'ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country'" (Corwin 226). This seems much more like something that would be a motivating factor for Mrs. Moultrie rather than Little, but I guess she is passionate.

I saw a mirror for one of the first times in this book (which may have been due to me actively looking for mirrors), and it is Claudia's personality. Similar to her not wanting to tell Braxton what's wrong, I often tend to hide my emotions, wanting to always appear as if everything is fine (to be fair, it almost always is fine but there are still rare occasions in which it isn't).