Essay Questions

Do you agree that parents should remain concerned about their children's welfare even after they are grownups?

Regardless of age, Ada Mae's parents will still consider her as a child, and they will follow her life as long as they are alive. This statement is proven when Ada Mae's parents are against her union with Harry Day, a poor man. According to Ada Mae's parents, their daughter cannot live in a home with connected water and electricity. However, Harry and Ada Mae run away on realizing that her parents are becoming an obstacle to their marriage. Consequently, parents are wrong when they direct their children not to marry someone because he is poor. Wealth is created, and regardless of the starting point, the couple can become rich with time.

What is the greatest lesson that Justice Sandra O'Connor learned from her father?

One of the biggest lessons Sandra learned from her father is that there should be no excuses for not delivering on time for whatever circumstance in this life. Sandra recalls when she once delivered a late lunch, and her father denied it because it was late. It was not Sandra's fault to deliver lunch late because she had a flat tire, but her father could not listen to excuses. According to her father, Sandra should have begun the journey early enough to ensure that lunch was delivered timely. Since then, Sandra learned the value of not giving defenses in whatever she does.

How does the author develop the theme of gender inequality in the book ‘Sisters in Law’?

The author portrays Ruth Ginsburg and Sandra O'Connor as women who came from privileged families. These two women attended the best schools and universities, where they ended up doing a high-ranking profession of law preserved for men during the early days. However, after graduating, these women found it hard to get a job because of their gender. Most law firms only employed men. No firm was ready to hire a woman because the clients could not accept her. Therefore, gender inequality was prevalent, and that is why after joining the Supreme Court, Ginsburg and O'Conner fought for women's rights for the rest of their careers.