Allison 1
Brigette Allison
David Miller
ENG 1301
November 28, 2006
“Finishing School” Vs. “What’s in a name”
At first glance, “Finishing School” by Maya Angelou and “What’s in a name?” by Henry
Louis Gates Jr. sound a lot alike. Both were written by well known black authors. They both deal
with overt racism, cultural anomalies, and silent suffering. Although a generation passed between
Maya Angelou and Henry Louis Gates Jr. and nothing changed, there are distinctions that
demonstrate the underlying discord during that pre-1965 era.
