I Want To Be Miss America Analysis

A defining moment is the point at which a situation is clearly seen to start to change. There were defining moments in both the stories “Roots” and “I Want to be Miss America.” These defining moments also come along with problems the characters must face. In Roots, the main issue discussed is defiance against America’s whack color game, while in I Want to be Miss America, the main issue discussed is the image of America. Understanding the difficult and confusing situations the characters face, will help in understanding their defining moments and how they relate.

In the story Roots, Tatsu is a twenty year old man that still doesn’t know how to style his awkward hair. He is half Japanese and half black so his wonderful head of hair is not too nappy, not too straight, but just special. Tatsu has gone throughout his whole life with his hair being the topic of discussion, and getting him into some bad situations. Even

They had dark hair, dark eyes and olive skin while the fifty women on Miss America were usually blond, blue-eyed, beautiful and leggy. The girls tried to fit into the American stereotype of beauty by straightening their hair, lightening their skin complexion with foundation, and shaving their legs. “I knew I would never be one of those girls, ever” one of the sisters claims (pg 95). It’s ironic because into the future, the American women they wanted to become, suddenly started wanting to look ethnic. “We felt then a gratifying sense of inclusion, but it had unfortunately come too late. We had already acquired the habit of doubting ourselves as well as the place we came from” (pg 96). Although all four sisters were beautiful individuals, America’s perception of “beauty” caused self doubt in the young girls. They were too busy trying to look like something they were not to enjoy their true