2. Hattie believed that her winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress was...

[smkelly]

Hattie believed that her winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress was going to open doors for her career. Do you think she was being realistic or too naïve?

[Aimster23]

Cautiously optimistic is my guess. I just started the book and her perceptions at the awards ceremony spotlight how she is fully aware of the racism on display.

[Badhaircutgirl]

Whether or not it opened more job opportunities, it opened the door for praise and celebration she deserved. As well as press, which I do think was good for her continuing career. It makes sense for her to be optimistic about it bringing job opportunities and I don't think she was naive.

[Chay]

I believe Hattie was being more optimistic than realistic but I don’t think she was being too naive either… Hattie proved that anything is possible if you believe in yourself (and others believe in you too). Her own belief was that it may not be immediate changes but the little changes over time was worth her hard work and determination.

[Reading4Fun]

This is to be expected so I understand her logic but also in those times when black people a woman at that still had a long way to go with equality and acceptance. I look at the same as when a person goes to school for years and just expects to land a big job but it’s not that easy you still have to put the work in and still work hard.

[DeeNova10]

I think Hattie was a little of both. She was optimistic that a tiny stride was made for African American actors because the Academy did not HAVE to award her the Oscar. She was realistic in that she knew society was not going to change overnight just because of her win, and we see this with how she was still turned away from the club. I have been thrilled to learn that not only was Clark Gable not racist (I already knew that) but that his wife Carole was the same way. I am disgusted that Olivia de Haviland was a hardcore racist. I used to like her, but now, not so much. Same for the rest of the cast, except maybe Selznick.

[playnotwork]

I think given the time period she found herself in, she had reason to be optimistic that that was the case that her Oscar would improve opportunities. While Hollywood was seemingly more "integrated" than other areas of the Country in the '30s, it still very much was in the throes of rampant racism. However, given the power of media, it would stand to reason that her award would lead other studios to search for "the next big thing", as they tend to do.

[Smmore]

Going to change her life and going to change the life of other people that were the same skin color of her. Open new acting jobs for her and others l like her, but it only seems to bring more trouble.

[23025004068300]

Hattie McDaniel was hopeful that winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in *Gone with the Wind* would open more doors for her career, and in some ways, that was a realistic expectation. Winning an Oscar is typically a major milestone that leads to better roles and opportunities. However, given the racial climate of Hollywood and the broader society in 1940, it was unfortunately naïve to believe that this recognition would drastically change the industry's treatment of Black actors.

Despite her historic win, McDaniel continued to face significant racial barriers, often being typecast in servant roles and denied more diverse or leading roles that could have expanded her career. Hollywood was still deeply segregated, and opportunities for Black actors remained limited. While her optimism was understandable, systemic racism in the industry prevented her from fully capitalizing on her achievement.

[Agathos]

She held real hope in the possibilities that would come with the right help. She was humble and acknowledged that many had helped. Future help was a real hope she duteously held.