Character Sketch - TJ, from the Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry

Authors Avatar

TJ’s character sketch

TJ, an obnoxious character from Mildred D. Taylor's novel 'Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry' comes across as an abhorrent cheater and liar. He is ostentatious, constantly vying for attention, and assumes white companionship will get him respect and admiration. 

TJ is a glib, loquacious person, who makes new friends readily. However, he uses this commendable skill of glib with malignant intentions, like making Stacey give him his brand new coat, saying that he would take it off his hands because it made Stacey look like a preacher. TJ, who enjoys complete trust and loyalty from Stacey, isn't really a true friend, but an apostate who doesn't deserve that kind of friendship. He only pretends to be a friend of the Logans so that he can get access to their mother's test questions.  He always takes advantage of Stacey's unswerving trust and loyalty, betraying the Logans at many times throughout the story, like when he lets Stacey get caught and whipped because of his cheat notes, and when he betrays their mama to Mr. Granger just because she failed him for cheating in the examination. He, as a true hypocrite, keeps using friendship as his excuse, saying, "Friends gotta trust each other, Stacey, 'cause ain't nothin' like a true friend.", when he knows nothing of what a true friend is. True to his malevolent nature, he uses his brother as a scapegoat, making Claude get admonished for all his nefarious activities, which include drinking and dancing at the Wallace's.

Join now!

This nature of betraying his black friends probably stems from his egotistical, wannabe white personality. He considers himself superior to other blacks and wants to mingle with the whites, thinking that it will get him pride and respect. He likes swaggering his white friends to their black counterparts, '"Yeah, ole R.W. and Melvin …  …Better than any of y'all. … Everything I want they give me 'cause they really likes me. I'm they best friend." anticipating surprise and amazement, but is rather surprised by their cold response. He treats his black friends in a derogatory and disrespectful manner, as ...

This is a preview of the whole essay