Shouldn't They Be Sad?

In Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles, two children living in the south adventure through town on a summer day as civil rights begin to stir and change everything. I noticed that this inequality of race doesn't really make anyone sad which confused me.

John Henry isn't allowed in the general store. He doesn't seem to mind standing outside while Joe goes in to get Ice Pops for them. I wonder if because life has always been like this for John Henry and his family that he doesn't think of life any other way. He doesn't want to stand up for his rights, and he doesn't want to make a big scene trying to change everything. He's fine with Joe going into the store and he doesn't get upset over it. Joe doesn't think much of his friend having to stand outside, it's almost tradition. Later on when Joe and John Henry see the pool as it closes, John Henry makes a transition from apathy to action, as he later goes in the general store with Joe to show that he isn't afraid, and won't have his opportunities denied because of his race.

I think that John Henry doesn't care at the beginning of the book because he doesn't realize how unfair segregation is. If he was an adult wandering through the town on his own he would see how intense the segregation was and how unfair it really was. I'm sure John Henry's mother tells him some things about how it isn't fair for them but I'm sure he doesn't know a lot of things and because of this he isn't so frustrated by this until the pool closes. The pool closing is an emotional climax for John Henry because he really wanted to swim in the pool and forget about the unfairness in the south and be just like Joe. He wanted to do everything Joe could do, with Joe, but because of the racial segregation John Henry cannot, and is upset by this. I think John Henry wants revenge, in a mild way. He wants to stand up for his rights and get revenge by swimming in that pool or going into the general store with Joe. When the pool closes, John Henry obviously can't swim in it now and I felt like that motivated him to go into the general store.

I've not been allowed to do certain things but not because of race, only because of age. For example, I can't drive. This is nowhere near not being able to swim in a pool or go into a store but it's something that eventually I can do. John Henry would not be able to one day swim in that pool. John Henry wouldn't just be able to go into the general store one day. This is his life and how it will always be whereas I, as I grow older, will have even more opportunities.