Prairie Lotus

Hanna faces racism and intolerance from many in LaForge. From the moment she walks into the hotel room on her arrival to the town, she takes care based on past experiences to hide who she is: “With her bonnet tied on firmly and the load piled high in her arms, her face was mostly hidden from view” (14). She keeps away from the windows of the rented rooms as well, lest someone see her before Papa has a chance to make a few acquaintances and to share the promise of a new business for the town. Hanna finds only a few allies initially, such as Miss Walters, who shows the school children with a simple activity that in fact everyone in LaForge is from someplace else. Mr. Harris supports Hanna and Papa as well, promoting their moral characteristics to the crowd at the school board meeting. Hanna thinks fellow student Sam might be on her side as well, but most of the rest of the students begin to ostracize and harass her on her second day. Soon, parents in the town pull their children from the school because she attends. As LaForge is quite small, soon only three students remain, Hanna being one of them.