Ann: A Story of Intolerance. John Moehl

Ann may have been a product of her times–she was certainly, if possibly unwittingly, a product of her grandmother Isabelle. While Ann may have been molded by external forces, Isabelle was a force unto herself–a pacesetter, an indomitable woman of her times. Isabelle forged avenues that were often not taken by women of her day, even foreshadowing changes in perception that were still years away. Yet, in spite of her often avant-garde actions, her prejudices were unwavering and largely myopic. While Isabelle's single-mindedness was mimicked, even magnified by her granddaughter, Ann would never acknowledge that she was her grandmother's facsimile. She believed she was her own woman and headed to the top. Ann was a manipulator and a schemer. Sadly, Ann left very little good in her wake. The lives of Ann and Isabelle touched many; dragging some under, pushing others aside, and overpowering those close to them. Their lives served as textbook cases of bigotry and discrimination that are warnings that tolerance and acceptance are key to our social fabric.