Hidden figures

Look at the movie poster

🚀Who are the main characters? 

🚀Where does the scene take place ? 

🚀What can you see in the background ? 


VOCABULARY to describe the characters. Identify each character: Katherine, Dorothy or Mary? 

a) smart     clever    thinks outside the box       curious  

b) persevering     respectful      ambitious     takes her responsibilities seriously        
             
c) flirtatious     persuasive        determined     self-confident     playful (= scherzosa)


Significant monologues in the film:  Read and then watch this part of the film.  

📢 Dorothy’s speech: 

I’ve been late one day in 10 years, haven’t been off sick, haven’t complained, my work’s on time, it’s done right, it’s done well

What’s not fair is having the responsibility of a supervisor and not the title or the pay. Now I’m watching you two move on. Don’t get me wrong, one upward movement  is good for us all, it’s just not movement for me.    I sound like a supervisor, don’t I?! 

A  mean old salty one! 

You don’t mess with Mrs Vaughan!

  

📢Mary's speech to the judge:

I believe there are special circumstances to be considered You of all people should understand the importance of being first, your honour.

“Well, you were the first in your family to serve in the armed forces, the US Navy, the first to attend university, George Mason, and the first state judge to be recommissioned by 3 consecutive governments-“

“What’s your point? “

The point is, your honour, no negro woman in the state of West Virginia has ever attended an all-white high school , it’s unheard of.

Yes, unheard of. 

And before Alan Shepherd sat on top of a rocket, no  other American had ever  touched space and now he will be forever remembered as the US Navy man  from New Hampshire, the first to touch the stars. And now I plan on being an engineer at Math but I can ‘t do that without taking them classes at an allwhite high school and I can’t change the colour of my skin so I have no choice but to be the first, which I can’t do without you, sir.  Of all the cases you hear to today which one is going to matter in a hundred years’ time? Which one is going to make you the first? 

📢Katharine’s speech to Al Harrison:

“To the bathroom, sir” 

“The bathroom? To the damn bathroom for 40 minutes a day?  

“There’s no bathroom for me  here” 

“What do you mean there’s no bathroom?!" 

“There is no bathroom. There are no coloured bathrooms in this building  Or any  building  outside the west campus which is half a mile away, did you know that ? 

I have to walk to Timbuctoo just to relieve  myself and I can’t use one of the handy  bikes.  Picture that, Mr Harrison,  my uniform, skirt below my knees, my heels and a simple string of pearls. Well I don’t own pearls. Lord knows you don’t pay coloureds enough to afford pearls and I work like a dog day and night living off the coffee from the pot none of you want to touch! Excuse me if I have to go to the restroom a few times a day”

All these scenes show you that at that time racial discrimination was still a sad reality.

Moreover, women did not have the same rights as men and were often targets of prejudice.

Then, women couldn't attend the same classes as male students

Finally, they couldn't attend important meetings.