The Lions Of Little Rock Book Analysis

As Elon Musk once said, “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” This mindset is consistent throughout the novel by Kristin Levine, The Lions of Little Rock. In the book, characters try to defy the odds and overcome hardships. Levine’s riveting piece of historical fiction takes place in Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, in 1958. During the book, the town’s public high schools are refusing to integrate, and therefore, shutting down. In addition to the high schools shutting down, all of the other schools are segregated. The people of Little Rock are divided between segregation and integration, which plays a major part in the book. The main conflict in the story is that the public high schools
Despite the odds stacked against them, the two friends are devoted to proving the doubters wrong. A moment in the book when their determination is showcased is after being forbidden to be friends by their parents, Marlee and Liz continue to meet up at a secret location once a week fully aware of the backlash that might occur. Also, after a stick of dynamite gets thrown at Liz because she was seen with Marlee, they still want to be friends even though Liz was almost killed, implying that they are willing to die if they can still be friends. In the end, STOP defies the odds by winning the election, which brings the schools of Little Rock one step closer to integration. Even though they are not able to meet in public, Marlee and Liz are hopeful that things will change. Despite this, their friendship defied the odds and proved critics wrong. The story shows unwavering determination to accomplish a goal, as STOP defies the odds and wins the election. Also, Marlee and Liz proved the doubters wrong and that all people can be friends regardless of color. Overall, Levine’s historical fiction piece demonstrates that anyone can do anything even if the odds are stacked against