Throughout history, women have often been considered second-class citizens compared to men. African Americans were also considered second class citizens compared to Caucasians. Both women and African Americans had to be strong and endure many hardships in their struggle to be considered equal in their own country. In her book, The Women of Brewster Place, Gloria Naylor explores the burdens of being a woman and being African American. It tells the story of seven African American women who overcome their circumstances in their deteriorating community. All women have their own obstacles, whether it's being a single mother, walking away from everything they knew, their sexuality, or rape. Each of them had to get stronger if they wanted to reach a better place in life. Unfortunately, the image portrayed in Women of Brewster Place is not much different than the one seen today. Today's women may appear to be in a better position, but looks can be deceiving. They are still left alone to raise their children, and in today's society, this job is even more difficult to do alone. They are still humiliated by their community, and it is still very difficult for them to create a better life for themselves and their family with America's foot knocking them down every time they try to get back up. The African American woman often has to carry the burden of her family alone. Mattie Michael, the protagonist of The Women of Brewster Place, exemplifies how heavy that 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 get him out of prison and disappeared. The pain she felt wasn't much different from the pain many mothers have felt.