How does Cassie Logan become more aware of what life is like for black Americans living in Mississippi in the 1930’s?

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Anil Soray

25/9/2001

W.J.E.C English /Literature

Assignment- ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRY, By M. Taylor.

 How does Cassie Logan become more aware of what life is like for black Americans living in Mississippi in the 1930’s?

 Roll of thunder, Hear My cry’ by Mildred Taylor is a novel set in Spokane county Mississippi in 1930’s America. The story told through the eyes of an eight year old girl called Cassie Logan. Cassie has been protected from the racism and the injustice which is happening around her and this story shows the reader how Cassie loses her innocence. She begins to understand the injustices black people suffer through listening to what others tell her, her own experiences and those, which happen to other.

                     

 At the beginning of the novel, we see Cassie on her way to school. It is the first day of term. As she walks to school with her brothers they meet up with their friends. T.J. Avery is one of their friends. He likes to gossip and on the journey to school he tells them that the Berry’s had kerosene poured over them and then lit alight by some white men. Cassie then learns that the white folk had accused the Berrys of supposedly flirting with a white woman and because of this they were set alight. This makes her think about the way the white men think about black people and how much respect they have for them and she learns that white men are dangerous and are not interested in black people.

On the same journey to school, Cassie’s conscience is heightened when Little Man gets covered in red dust and he questions Cassie about why they don’t have a bus and this makes Cassie think more about it. Little Man is upset and as the bus drives past, the bus driver and the passengers deliberately humiliated Cassie and the other children. We know this because they see;

‘Laughing white faces pressed

against the bus window’

At another time they hear;

‘ Moronic rolls of laughter

and cries of “Nigger!, Nigger!

Mud eater” waffled from the

Open window.

When the children arrive at school for the first day Little Man is not happy about the condition of the books, as they are old and dirty and Little Man doesn’t want it.  When he opens the book he reads a chart on the front cover; There is a list which gives the date, the condition of the book and who had them. The last two lines state,

‘September 1932 poor, White’

September 1933 very poor, Nigre’

By seeing this little man is angry and upset and he throws the book on the floor and repeatedly steps on it. When he is approached by the teacher he says,

‘”That ones dirty”’          

He then asks the teacher…

‘”I-I said may I have

another book please ma‘am”’

Cassie supports Little Man by standing up and sticking up for him.

When Mama finds out about this her reaction is that she understands and she cares about the children’s feelings. She believes that what little man did was right. She says that Mrs Crocker had a right to punish them for the books but then Mama says

Join now!

‘”But that doesn’t mean they

have to accept them and

…And maybe we don’t either’”

Mamma shows that she understands and thinks from the children’s point of view. Cassie learns from her mother’s reaction that Mama covered the books because Mama is supporting the children’s beliefs. Mama would risk anything to protect her children and stand up for them. She doesn’t care what the consequences are. Her mum will fight against injustice for black people having second best.

 We then hear that John Berry was at the station when two white men came up to him and in ...

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