Throughout history, women have often been considered second-class citizens compared to men. African Americans were also considered second-class citizens compared to Caucasians. Women and African Americans had to be strong and endure many hardships in their struggle to be considered equals in their own country. In her book The Women of Brewster Place, Gloria Naylor explores the burden of being a woman and being African American. It tells the story of seven African-American women overcoming their circumstances in a declining community. Women all have their own obstacles, whether it's being a single mother, walking away from everything they knew, their sexuality or rape. They each had to become stronger if they wanted to get to a better place in life. Unfortunately, the image presented in Women of Brewster Place is not much different from the one we see today. Women today may seem better off, but appearances can be deceiving. They are still left alone to raise their children, and in today's society this work is even more difficult to do alone. They are still put down by their community, and it is still very difficult for them to create a better life for themselves and their families, under the American foot that hits them every time they try to get back up. The African American woman often has to bear the burdens of her family alone. Mattie Michael, the main character of The Women of Brewster Place, illustrates how heavy this burden can become. Mattie was a young single mother who moved to Brewster Place after her son, Basil, lost his house when she used it as collateral to bail him out of prison and he disappeared. The pain she felt was not much different from what many mothers have felt..