We all know how bad prejudice is, but it's amazing to see the depths of hate that some people sink to in Moon Over Manifest: shunning people, calling them names, and even threatening their lives and property. And the fact that the citizens of Manifest keep to their own little groups makes it that much easier for them to treat the people they consider to be outsiders badly. We can see how a community coming together is more than just nice—in Manifest, it's necessary to stop the cruelty.
Questions About Prejudice
- If Devlin weren't the boss, would he have been willing to take off his KKK hood?
- There were a lot of people at that KKK rally in the woods. Who else from the town do you think might have been there?
- Would Devlin really have hurt any one of his workers?
- World War II started just a few years after Abilene's summer in Manifest. Do we see any indications of what's to come?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Mrs. Larkin doesn't look down on Miss Sadie because she's a fortune-teller—it's because she's new in town.
Everyone in Manifest is at least a little prejudiced toward someone else.