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Hidden Figures: a Summary and Analysis

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Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 808 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, summary of the movie, analysis of key themes, examination of historical accuracy, analysis of film techniques and directing choices, comparison with other movies addressing similar themes, a. representation and overcoming stereotypes, b. intersectionality and discrimination.

  • Melfi, T. (Director). (2016). Hidden Figures [Motion Picture]. USA: 20th Century Fox.
  • Olsen, K. (2017). Making Hidden Figures: How a group of women helped NASA get to the moon. History, 1-8.
  • McGill, A. (2018). Hidden figures: The rise of intersectional feminism. Women's Studies International Forum, 69, 27-32.
  • Slate, J. R. (2017). Hidden Figures and the appeal of inspirational history. The History Teacher, 50(1), 69-85.

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essay questions for hidden figures

Hidden Figures

Guide cover image

46 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-13

Chapters 14-19

Chapter 20-Epilogue

Key Figures

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Shetterly describes many of the activities the main characters were involved in outside of work, such as in their church or the community. Because the focus here is on their careers, why do you think Shetterly includes so much of their personal activities? What message does she give by doing so? Give specific examples, drawing on the lives of all four characters. 

Shetterly mentions A. Philip Randolph twice, during key moments 20 years apart. In 1941, he helps convince Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue an executive order banning discrimination in federal agencies and departments. In 1963, he has a large role in the groundbreaking March on Washington that became famous for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Who was Randolph and how important was he in the civil rights movement? What were the key issues and accomplishments he was responsible for?

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By Margot Lee Shetterly

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Hidden Figures: Young Readers Edition

Margot Lee Shetterly

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essay questions for hidden figures

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Hidden Figures Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay discussing Shetterly’s motives for writing Hidden Figures. What does she mean when she says that past events can help shed light on the modern world? What insight does Hidden Figures provide about the modern world?

Essay Topic 2

Melvin Butler saw the need for hiring black women as human computers due to a shortage in the workforce created by the war. How did the way in which Butler hired the women and brought them into Langley affect how they were treated or accepted in the workplace? Cite specific examples of the practices or structures he put into place and how they influenced the way in which black women were received in the workplace.

Essay Topic 3

Shetterly makes a case for historical events affecting the opportunities made available to African Americans and women in mathematics and science. Write an essay describing and discussing the...

(read more Essay Topics)

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COMMENTS

  1. Hidden Figures Essay Questions | GradeSaver

    Hidden Figures Essay Questions. 1. Hidden Figures tells a story that spans three decades, during which there's a world war and multiple social and scientific movements that affect thousands of Langley employees. What techniques does Shetterly use to make that story feel cohesive?

  2. Hidden Figures Viewing Guide and Discussion Questions

    Hidden Figures Viewing Guide and Discussion Questions Hidden Figures is a movie based on the book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. The book was a top book of 2016 for both TIME and Publisher’s Weekly, a USA Today

  3. Hidden Figures Movie: Summary and Analysis | Essay Example

    Hidden Figures (2016, directed by Theodore Melfi) is a movie that will simultaneously inspire and make people angry at the injustice African-American women face both in professional and daily life. The main characters of Katherine Goble, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan worked at NASA and saw many opportunities for their professional growth ...

  4. Hidden Figures: a Summary and Analysis - GradesFixer

    Introduction. The movie "Hidden Figures" directed by Theodore Melfi is based on the true story of three talented African American women who worked at NASA as mathematicians during the space race in the 1960s. This essay provides a summary and analysis of the movie's key aspects and themes.

  5. Hidden Figures Essay Topics | SuperSummary

    Get unlimited access to SuperSummaryfor only $0.70/week. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

  6. Hidden Figures Questions and Answers - eNotes.com

    Ask a question. Hidden Figures Questions and Answers - Discover the eNotes.com community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on Hidden Figures.

  7. Hidden Figures: Study Guide | SparkNotes

    Overview. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly is the 2016 nonfiction account of the Black women who worked as human “computers” at NACA and NASA from the 1930s to the 1960s. It chronicles the lives and achievements of three Black women — Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, and Mary Jackson — and the racism and gender discrimination ...

  8. Hidden Figures Essay Topics & Writing Assignments - BookRags.com

    This comprehensive lesson plan includes 30 daily lessons, 180 multiple choice questions, 20 essay questions, 20 fun activities, and more - everything you need to teach Hidden Figures!