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For those not around in 1917, "bar sinister" referred to illegitimacy. In this case, the person whose heritage in question is Southern belle Hedda Nova, who has been listed in the record books as "part-colored". She must prove that she's 100% white in order to gain acceptance in the community. Yes, it was a strange, strange world we lived in, Master Jack. Bar Sinister was based on a poem by Anthony Kelly-which, for obvious reasons, is no longer part of the American classroom curriculum.