Getting Through It Ellen Foster was just ten years old when her life became a horrible mess. She grew up with a sexually and verbally abusive father who killed his own wife, which was Ellen's mother. Ellen watched this happen and could not do a thing about it since her father threatened to kill her if she even attempted to call for help. Ellen loved her mother more than anything in the world. When her mother died, Ellen sat next to her and said "You can rest with me until someone comes to get you."ÃÂ(Gibbons 10) How could Ellen live through this kind of loss and still have the confidence and will to live and support herself. "It is better that something be done now, rather than later"ÃÂ.
Ellen went on with her life and made the best of it. Even though she was left at her home to live only with her father now, she tried to avoid him by getting out of the house.
When she did this, she would usually go to Starletta's house, her colored friend. Starletta was a great friend to Ellen, if not her best friend. Ellen was brought up to think that colored people were bad and dirty. The comfort that Starletta's family gave to Ellen quickly changed those thoughts. Starletta's parents would of then say to Ellen "Would you like to stay and eat? You know you are welcome to stay."ÃÂ(Gibbons 31) Even though Ellen and Starletta differed in color, they ignored that fact and always had a good time together. They would buy each other gifts, play games, and talk about whatever was on their mind. They would be there to help one another out.
One day in school, a teacher noticed a bruise on Ellen's arm that had been given...