
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a 1976 novel by Mildred D. Taylor, sequel to her 1975 novella Song of the Trees. It is a book about racism in America during the Great Depression and Jim Crow era. The novel won the 1977 Newbery Medal. It is followed by two more sequels, Let the Circle Be …
What happens in roll of Thunder Hear my Cry Chapter 12?
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis. Before Papa can whip them though, Cassie starts crying and reveals the entire story, starting with the story T.J. told them. Papa decides he has to go get Stacey, and he grabs a gun, but Mama tries to stop him, saying it’ll get him killed.
What does Cassie learn about discrimination in roll of Thunder Hear my Cry?
Cassie’s entire morning has been spent learning about the ways in which she’s discriminated against. In this case, she sees that black customers are treated as second-class citizens, and it’s still new enough to her that she gets very angry. Get the entire Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry LitChart as a printable PDF.
Who are the Logans in roll of Thunder Hear my Cry?
In a humorous scene, the Wallaces think that the Logans—who are in Uncle Hammer’s car—are actually Mr. Granger, but even this funny scene has a dark undertone when Mama says that the Logans will have to pay for it eventually. Cao, Diana. "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Chapter 6." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 11 May 2014. Web. 6 Aug 2021. Cao, Diana.
How do I Track themes in roll of Thunder Hear my Cry?
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. When Cassie and her brothers get home, the adults are already awake and furious to find the children missing.
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What happens at the end of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Later that night, after Mr. and Mrs. Logan tuck Cassie in and leave, she begins to cry. She realizes that she and her siblings are free and that T.J. would never be again. The novel ends with Cassie crying, ''I cried for T.J. For T.J. and the land.
What happened in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Chapter 7?
In Chapter 7, Mama asks Stacey to bring her his new coat from Uncle Hammer so she can hem it for him, but he has given it away to his friend, TJ. Mama is furious and wants him to get the coat, but Uncle Hammer wants Stacey to learn a lesson. If he is ignorant enough to give the coat away, then he does not deserve it.
Who was burned in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
John Henry BerryThe burning of John Henry Berry by white men is a kind of lynching, in which white men take the life of a black man and are not punished for it.
What is the main problem in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Conflict: The logans took the responsibility for getting the families their grocery from Vicksburg but that lent to the riskiness of their lives. And the land also has a great importance but its in a great threat and they are trying to find all possible things for saving it.
What age should read Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry?
I would recommend this story for readers 10 years and up. Since this book is coming from Cassie's perspective, it might be more fitting for girls. However, boys might find this novel interesting, too. I hope you enjoy Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry as much as I do!
What happens in Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Chapter 9?
Cassie is able to get the whole story out of Stacey: Apparently, on the way back from Vicksburg, the wheels came off the wagon, kind of like someone had purposefully sabotaged it. As they repaired the wagon, a truck rolled up, and someone shot Papa (not fatally, whew). The wagon then fell on Papa's leg.
Why did Papa start a fire?
It turns out that Papa started the fire in order to stop the lynching.
Why was Mr Berry burned?
A couple of white men started trouble with them, accusing them of flirting with Sallie Ann. We get the strong impression that Sallie Ann is white. The men chased the Berry brothers to their uncle Samuel's house, and then dragged all three out and lit them on fire.
What is the climax of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Climax. Mr. Granger is angling to buy the Logan land, and is upset that the Logans have forgotten their "place". Mama is fired from her job, Papa is shot on one of his trips, and suddenly the property mortgage becomes due in full.
What does Cassie learn in roll of thunder?
Cassie is intelligent, outspoken, and self-confident, even when those qualities threaten to get her in trouble for speaking her mind in a white-dominated world. Over the course of the novel, Cassie directly experiences racism and learns the real dangers of being black in the South in the 1930s.
Is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry a banned book?
After parent complaints about the use of racist epithets in To Kill a Mockingbird; Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; The Cay; Of Mice and Men; and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, the Burbank (CA) Unified School District superintendent removed these titles from required classroom reading lists.
Do the Logans lose their land?
Big Mama, Mama, and Papa repeat the same refrain throughout the book: "We won't lose the land." The land represents the Logans' independence from the power structure around them, since by working their own plot of land the Logans are free, in both the sense that they have no master, can earn based on their own work, ...
What does Mr Granger hope to accomplish when he visits the Logan family in Chapter 7?
He wants to get at the Logan family anyway he can, in order to stop the shopping in Vicksburg. He also wants the Logan land very much.
What happened in Chapter 8 of Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry?
Cassie finally takes her revenge on Lillian Jean, making her apologize for being racist and rude in the past. Cassie has managed to keep her own mouth shut, and meanwhile, she's learned how powerful words can be in the form of secrets and gossip.
Who was Cassie angry at and why?
Who was Cassie angry at and why? Cassie was mad at Mr. Barnett because even though they arrive there first and T.J already gave thim the lists of things he needed Mr. Barnett takes orders from white people only even if they ask for simplest thing.
Why is Mrs Logan fired?
So, Mr. Granger has Mama fired from her teaching job, because she thinks she is so much smarter than the person who wrote the textbook. But really, she was fired because of the Wallace store boycott. This is a major bummer, because teaching is so vital to who Mama is.
What is the final message of the Logans?
The final message of the novel, perhaps, is that survival is possible, but that there are inevitable losses along the way. Previous section Chapters 9-10 Next section Analysis. Test your knowledge.
Did Papa burn his own land?
At first, it may seem that it was slightly criminal of Papa to fool the men by starting a fire. But, on the other hand, he burned his own land. Also, throughout the novel, the Logan family has indulged in small acts of civil disobedience, such as the sabotage of the bus.
What does Cassie hear in the porch?
Morrison singing a spiritual that begins with “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.”. It’s another hot night with a storm approaching. Suddenly, Cassie hears tapping on the porch. She sneaks past Big Ma and creeps to the door, where she listens some more and then opens the door to find T.J., badly injured.
Why did the Simms brothers think all the robbers were black?
His wife thought that all three of the robbers were black because of the stockings. The Simms brothers are also fine with letting Mrs. Barnett believe that all three of the robbers were black. They’re only concerned with protecting themselves, not with doing what’s right or fair.
What does the approaching storm mean in the movie?
The approaching storm signals that something major is going to happen in the plot. Mr. Morrison's song suggests a desire to at least be hear and recognized within the storm, which might be taken as a desire for the dignity of being recognized—by other men, or by God—even in the dreadful circumstances of entrenched racism.
Who leads the hunt for T.J.?
The older Simms brothers lead the hunt for T.J., even though they know that they’re the ones responsible. Additionally, they try to pin their crimes on two other unsuspecting black men. The society they live in is so unfair that there’s little doubt they’ll get away with it.
Why do the Logans work together?
The Logans work together to protect their family and community —the younger kids go back to warn Papa, and Stacey stays to see where the men will take T.J. Meanwhile, the white men pay no heed to the law. They simply want to take their own revenge and hang T.J. without a trial. They don’t particularly care what other black men they hang either.
What does Stacey say to Cassie in Roll of Thunder?
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. At home, Stacey tells Cassie not to blame Big Ma for what happened. Stacey says that there are some things Cassie just doesn’t understand, but Cassie is still indignant.
What does Uncle Hammer ask Cassie about?
Uncle Hammer asks Cassie about her first trip to Strawberry, but Big Ma tries to interrupt and keep Cassie from telling him about the incident with the Simms. Cassie forges on, however, and tells Uncle Hammer about Mr. Barnett and then the incident with Lillian Jean.
What does Uncle Hammer say about Stacey's coat?
It’s a little big, but Mama says Stacey will grow into it. Stacey’s very happy with the present, and they all head to church. When they get there, T.J. makes fun of Stacey’s coat, saying he looks like a fat preacher. Cassie tells Stacey that T.J.’s just jealous, but Stacey still sulks about it later.
What does Cassie hope Uncle Hammer will knock?
Cassie says she hopes that Uncle Hammer will knock some sense into Mr. Simms, but Mama sends her off to bed early. Mama soon follows her into the room, however, and tells her that Big Ma just didn’t want to see her get hurt and didn’t like making Cassie apologize any more than Cassie liked it.
What does Uncle Hammer do after church?
After church, Uncle Hammer takes the family for a long ride in his car, driving to Strawberry and back. He pauses by the Wallace store and says he’d like to burn it down, but Big Ma and Mama hush him and tell him there are other ways to get back at the Wallaces.
Why does Uncle Hammer hate racism?
Uncle Hammer reacts very strongly to racism because he feels that he’s sacrificed too much for his country fighting in World War II for him or his family to be treated like second-class citizens. Big Ma doesn’t take the same approach Uncle Hammer does, but she defies racism in her own way, by refusing to let Harlan Granger have the land. Both of them are passionate about protecting their family from injustice in their own ways.
Why is Cassie angry with Big Ma?
Cassie doesn’t understand why black people have to back down, so she’s still angry with Big Ma. Stacey, however, has already learned that it’s sometimes necessary to back down in the short term in order to survive, and he tries to explain this to Cassie.
What does LitCharts do in Roll of Thunder?
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Mama asks Stacey to bring her his coat so that she can take up the sleeves for him, but it turns out that Stacey gave the coat to T.J. to get him to stop making fun of him.
Why does Papa refuse to give up his land?
One of the reasons Papa refuses to give up the land and his dignity is that he knows he’s setting an example for his children. Even if he can’t win right now, he hopes that his children might succeed in the future, when (hopefully) society starts to shift to become less racist. Active Themes.
What does Uncle Hammer want to do?
Uncle Hammer wants to burn the Wallaces out, but Mama dismisses him. Papa then notices Cassie standing in the shadows and takes her back to bed. He tells her that the Logans are never going to lose their land. The Logan adults are trying to find a way to counter the injustices in their community in their own way.
What did Jeremy bring to Stacey?
He’s brought a bag of nuts for the family and a handmade wooden flute for Stacey. Stacey accepts it hesitantly. Papa tells Jeremy that he better go home before his dad starts looking for him, and Jeremy agrees and starts to leave. Cassie wishes him a merry Christmas before he goes, and Jeremy seems pleased. Afterwards, T.J. tells Stacey that he should get rid of the flute, but Stacey ignores him, remembering the incident with the coat. Later on, Papa tells Stacey that it’s dangerous to be friends with a white boy, even if he would make a better friend than T.J. Stacey understands his meaning and agrees, but later Cassie sees him place the flute inside his box of treasured things.
Why is Mama furious at the coat?
Mama is furious not only because the coat is an extremely fine coat, but also because it was a family gift. The Logans are a very close family, so they should treat each other gifts accordingly. However, Uncle Hammer doesn’t allow Stacey to ask T.J. for the coat back because he believes there’s a lesson to be learned there—it’s his own form of justice. If Stacey gives away his coat, then he doesn’t deserve the coat. Meanwhile, Cassie plans her own revenge against Lillian Jean and T.J., since she knows that no justice will be done unless she takes action herself.
Why is story telling important to the Logans?
Storytelling is an important tradition to the Logans because it’s how they pass on their family and community history, and their stories are different from the ones told in books at school or anywhere else in print. It’s how Mr. Morrison, for example, remembers his family and how they were brutally murdered in a racist act. Mr. Morrison’s explanation of breeded stock also demonstrates how white people treated black slaves as if they were cattle rather than humans.
Why does Stacey give T.J. the coat?
Mama asks Stacey to bring her his coat so that she can take up the sleeves for him, but it turns out that Stacey gave the coat to T.J. to get him to stop making fun of him . Mama is furious and tells Stacey to get the coat back, but Uncle Hammer stops her.
How does David Logan diffuse the situation?
The situation is very tense, but David Logan diffuses it by setting the fields on fire, bringing all the people around to help in stopping it. After the fire is extinguished, Stacey asks what will happen to T.J.
Who became a victim of the injustice of the Wallaces?
T.J. Avery becomes a victim of the injustice of the Wallaces and those of their ilk.
What does LitCharts do in Roll of Thunder?
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. One morning, Big Ma wakes Cassie before dawn and tells her that she and Stacey can accompany her to the market in Strawberry.
Who kicks Cassie out of the store?
Mr. Barnett kicks her out of the store with Stacey. Stacey goes to see what’s keeping Big Ma at Mr. Jamison’s, but Cassie wanders along the sidewalk trying to understand what just happened. As she’s walking, she accidentally bumps into Lillian Jean Simms, who demands that Cassie apologize for running into her.
Why does Big Ma force Cassie to apologize?
Even worse, Big Ma forces Cassie to apologize because Big Ma is afraid of escalating the situation. She doesn’t want her granddaughter to get hurt, even is Cassie is right to be angry.
Why did Big Ma never bring Cassie into town?
It begins to become clear why Big Ma never agreed to bring Cassie into town before. Cassie’s entire morning has been spent learning about the ways in which she’s discriminated against. In this case , she sees that black customers are treated as second-class citizens, and it’s still new enough to her that she gets very angry.
Why is Cassie excited about Big Ma?
Cassie’s excited because it’ll be her first time in town. However, once Cassie and Stacey find out that T.J. will be going too, it becomes clear that Big Ma only brought them so that they can occupy T.J. and he won’t just talk Big Ma’s ear off.
Why did the Wallaces burn?
It’s clear that the burning incident was motivated by racism. The fact that even the sheriff won’t listen to Henrietta’s version of events shows how deeply embedded these racist sentiments are. It seems likely that the entire community knows that the Wallaces are responsible for the burning, since they’re bragging about it, but no one is willing to suggest that three white men should be punished for hurting three black men.
Why is Papa's quiet comment a call to action?
Papa’s quiet comment is actually a call to action: he’s suggesting that the community could show their disapproval of the Wallaces by boycotting their store, just like the Logans are doing. It’s his way of dealing with injustice even when the law isn’t on their side.
What does Papa say to his kids in the book "The Wallaces"?
Active Themes. Papa makes a comment that sounds random to the children: “In this family, we don’t shop at the Wallace store.”. He later tells his kids that he doesn’t like the Wallaces, and their store is trouble. Papa says that if he finds out any of them have gone into the store, he’ll give them a mean whipping.
Why was Stacey whipped?
Cassie asks one of the other boys where Stacey is, and it turns out that Stacey was whipped by Mama because he was caught with cheat notes. The notes belonged to T.J., but because Stacey wouldn’t rat him out, he took the beating. Now T.J. has run into the Wallace store in order to avoid Stacey.
Why does T.J. tell the Logans of yet another incident of racial violence?
T.J. tells the Logans of yet another incident of racial violence—this time because a black man challenged the character and honesty of a white man. The children are alarmed by this news, but they’re also relieved and no longer feel guilty about the bus incident.
What does Cassie feel about the bus accident?
Cassie still feels guilty about the bus accident, wondering whether her mother will ever find out, while Mama and Big Ma worry about the children. It’s another demonstration of how concerned the Logans are about one another, and of the general racist atmosphere that makes such constant concern necessary.
Why doesn't Stacey fight around the Wallaces?
up. However, when Mr. Morrison comes, he tells Stacey that he shouldn’t fight around the Wallaces because they think it’s funny when black people fight each other —in other words, Stacey is in a way betraying his own community by turning them into a laughingstock. Stacey seems to understand this, and as a result, he agrees to confess what he did to Mama.
What is T.J. telling the boys about?
Inside, T.J. is telling the boys about his strategy for getting out of doing chores for the family. The boys listen listlessly. T.J. tries to convince Stacey to steal answers from his mother for the upcoming test, but Stacey ignores him. T.J. then tries to convince the Logans to go with him to the Wallace store for some dancing, but Stacey refuses that as well. Finally, T.J. starts talking about the night men, and all the Logan children are riveted.
Does Stacey rat T.J. out?
Stacey has a strict code of honor—he doesn’t rat T.J. out even though it means that his mother has to whip him in front of the entire class. He also tries to prevent T.J. from cheating because he wants to keep T.J. from getting in trouble and he also doesn’t want anyone to cheat on Mama’s exam. Active Themes.
Why did TJ get fired?
TJ gets Mama (Mrs. Logan) fired because she wasn't teaching what she was supposed to and she fails TJ on purpose because he cheats. Cassie and her brothers don't talk to TJ because of what he did, now they won't get the money they need
What does Cassie tell Uncle Hammer about?
Papa comes home with Uncle Hammer. Cassie tells Uncle Hammer about what has happened at Strawberry and what Charlie Simms did to her. Uncle Hammer is furious and wants to kill Charlie Simms.
Why does Cassie go to Strawberry?
Cassie gets to go to Strawberry for the first time because she is old enough and Mama doesn't want to listen to TJ the whole time. Cassie ends up being hurt and experiences racism for the first time. Then she accidently bumps into Lilian Jean and is forced to apologize.
How does Cassie get revenge on Lilian Jean?
Cassie decides to get revenge on Lilian Jean by becoming "close" to her and learning all her secrets about her and her brothers. Cassie then blackmails Lilian Jean and then beats her up
What does Cassie learn about TJ?
Cassie learns that TJ could be put in jail or be executed for what he did.
Who ambushed Papa and Stacey?
Papa, Mr. Morrison, and Stacey are ambushed by the Wallaces. Papa ends up getting shot and a broken leg, but luckily the shot wasn't fatal and he could heal from it
Who gives the kids beat up textbooks that the white schools didn't want?
Mrs. Logan gives the kids beat up textbooks that the white schools didn't want
