witch-hunt

What happened to Ruth Brown was appropriately related to a 'witch-hunt within the book 'The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown. Although she had supporters and strong friends who stood by her side, those within her profession we not among them (77). Naomi Stocker Gordon, a former employee of Ruth's, became and advocate for Ruth Brown and her cause when she approached a New York lawyer and pleaded for him to take the case. Gordon became an example of what the library profession has now become. Fighting for the freedom of information and the protection of those who provide this information. However, the story of Ruth Brown goes even deeper than this by becoming symbolic of how an industry or a society greatly shapes how people react and what actions they take. Even in the discussion of Twentieth Century Fox and their reluctance to risk the wrath of HUAC there is further evidence of letting an injustice go untold rather than standing up the the powerful bullies on the corporate play ground. Ruth Brown's story provides great insight into not only a specific historical context, but into society itself.