Cassie, the narrator of the story, introduces the readers to the life led not only by her and her brothers but also to the life, all the blacks in their community, led. The scene opens as Cassie and her brothers, Stacey, Christopher John and Little Man, travel to school. Since it was the first day that Little Man would be attending school, he wanted to keep himself clean. As the Logan children walked to school, they were joined by T.J., Stacey’s best friend, and his younger brother Claude. T.J. then began to tell them about the incident that happened the previous night. He told them how two drunken whites burned two black brothers and their uncle, alive. It so happened that a certain black man flirted with a white woman, Sally Anne. Sally Anne then complained to her fellow whites and this infuriated them. That night when they were drunk, they saw two black men at the fuel station and just presumed that they were the ones that Sally Anne had talked about. They chased them till they reached their uncle’s house. The brothers and their uncle started to fight them off but to no avail. The whites burned them alive. And when the sheriff questioned the witness Henrietta, who was the cousin of the two brothers, he called her a liar for telling what happened and then told her to go home. This just proves that although the whites didn’t have enough reason they still continued on with their actions without even thinking about the consequences. The facts that those white men were drunk don’t justify their actions. It also proves that although there was still freedom of speech, what the blacks said was not believed. In this context, language is used as a sign of resistance. The blacks struggle away from the life that their ancestors lived as slaves but that was something the whites would never give them. In their community, justice was not achieved by proof but rather through race. The color of your skin mattered more than the fact that you were actually telling the truth.
As the children neared the school, all hopes of Little Man staying clean were ruined when Stacey motioned them off the road to avoid the bus of Jefferson Davis School which was approaching. As the bus passed by, it splattered Little Man with mud. Furious, Little Man tried to run after the bus but was stopped by Stacey. He didn’t understand the actions of the driver and the reason as to why their school didn’t have any buses. Cassie described this bus as their own personal ‘tormentor’, as not only did the driver take pleasure in splashing them with red dust but also the whites riding it. Armed with this information, the readers come to realize that not only is discrimination found among the adults but it is also found among the black children who encounter whites, who take pleasure in tormenting them. This attitude of superiority causes most whites to believe that they have the liberty to do whatever they want to all blacks without facing any consequences.
Soon the attention of the readers is diverted to another incident concerning Little Man. As the first graders’ teacher was unable to attend school that day, the students were to join with the fourth graders, Cassie’s class. Both Cassie and Little Man hid their enthusiasm as their teacher informed their class that they would all be receiving books that year. However, as Miss Crocker, their teacher, handed Little Man his book, he was hesitant when he noticed that these books were not only second hand but were dirty and old as well. What enraged him even was the fact that these books were used by the whites and when they were not of any use to them they were contributed to the black students. He threw the book on the floor and stamped on it. Both Logan children were whipped by their teacher for disobeying her. After school, Cassie ran to find her mother, who was the teacher of the seventh graders, to tell her about her troubles. But by the time she reached her mother’s classroom, her teacher, Miss Crocker was already there and had already revealed the incident with the books. Mary Logan agreed with her colleague that her children deserved it. At that same time, she took out a white paper and pasted it above the inside cover of the children’s books. She informed Miss Crocker that she would be doing this to all her students’ books and to her children’s books as well. This action horrified Miss Crocker. She exclaimed that this was not a way to repay the ‘hand that feeds you’. But Mrs. Logan didn’t want her children and students to feel that they were any more inferior to the whites by just looking into their books and reading the column saying that it was now issued to the ‘nigras’
Miss Crocker’s reaction was one that was expected of the blacks but bowing down to the whites was not a practice that Mary Logan practised often. Miss Crocker is the type of person who took whatever life threw her way without any complaints. Her acceptance of white supremacy would only encourage more whites to step on as many black citizens as they liked. This was because the whites were sure that none of the blacks would dare stand up against them. It was this attitude that caused racism to continue in their community.
Days after the conversation between Mrs. Logan and Miss Crocker, David Logan, the father of Cassie and her three brothers, arrived home with an unexpected guest, Mr. L.T. Morrison. Mr. Morrison was about six feet two inches tall, well-built and his skin was partially burnt, which the children presumed was probably caused by a fire. He was to stay with the Logan family while Papa, Mr. Logan, was away at work on the railroad.
Big Ma, the grandmother of the Logan children and the mother of Papa and Uncle Hammer, assigned Stacey and Cassie to accompany her to the market in the town of Strawberry. With them was T.J. and together the three children did their shopping. While they were at the Barnett’s Mercantile store, Mr. Barnett, the clerk attended to the needs of fellow white people but ignored the three children although they were the ones who arrived there first. Cassie then attempted to remind him about their orders but he just yelled at her. Shocked, Cassie walked out of the store and while she was wandering outside, she bumped into Lillian Jean. Lillian Jean was the sister of Jeremy Simms, who although was a white, was very friendly to the Logan siblings. She demanded Cassie to apologize for not watching where she was going. Cassie refused to apologize. When Mr. Simms and Big Ma saw them, Mr. Simms and Lillian Jean tried to push Cassie out into the street. Big Ma made Cassie apologize and although she didn’t really mean it, she told her sorry. It was then that Cassie understood that life was not always fair, especially to them, coloured people. The tears that she shed that day showed that Cassie had already pushed away the childhood innocence inside of her as she became more aware of how racism really worked. Big Ma’s way of handling racism was more complicated and although she didn’t agree with Mr. Simms, she had to bow down to the will of a powerful white man. The power of words is shown by the way people use it to define others, particularly the blacks.
The arrival of Hammer Logan, the brother of Papa and uncle of Cassie and her brothers, caused a temporary panic to Cassie and Stacey. This was because as they reached home, they reacted at the site of a car parked in their barn. They assumed that the car was owned by Harlan Granger, a white land owner who was the descendant of the previous owner of the Logan’s land. The presence of Harlan Ganger meant trouble to the Logans. But they were relieved when they found out that the car was owned by their uncle and was only similar to the car owned by Granger. The next day, Uncle Hammer drove the family to church. After the service, they went for a drive. When they neared Soldier’s Bridge, a buggy that was crossing stopped and made way for the car to pass by, thinking that the owner of the car was actually Harlan Granger. As they passed by, they realized that it was the Wallace family that gave them way and noticed shock plastered on their faces. The car in this context symbolizes both power and status. The readers come to the conclusion that the only people, who assumed to have cars, in those days, were the whites. But this statement is proven untrue by Uncle Hammer. Hammer having a car just proves that the blacks can achieve the equality they deserved if they strive for it. It makes Uncle Hammer an equal to Harlan Granger.
On Christmas Eve, the whole Logan family, along with Uncle Hammer and Mr. Morrison, stayed late at night. They sat together and shared stories with the Logan children. Mr. Morrison retells the events that led to his family’s death. Mr. Morrison’s parents hid two black boys, that the night men were after. But those boys never got to finish telling the Morrison’s their story. The night men had already barged into their home and started fighting them off, killing them in the process and burned them out. Mr. Morrison was the only one who survived that fire. At first Mama, Mrs. Logan didn’t want her children to hear Mr. Morrison’s story, but Papa permitted them to hear it as this event was connected to their history. It was how the blacks were treated for the slightest mistake they committed, and it didn’t matter whether it was fact or accusatory, in their world the whites would always be right regardless of reason.
The tension between the blacks and whites soon arises as the night men are said to have ridden again. The tension had been building up for quite some time, it started with Sam Tatum. Sam was tarred and feathered alive by the night men when he complained that the Wallaces’ were charging him extra for items he didn’t buy, when he shopped at Wallace store. Another incident that triggered this tension was the revenge that Stacey, Cassie, Christopher John and Little man implanted. It was during the rainy season and the white children’s school bus still took the liberty in splashing them with mud. Stacey came up with a plan to get even with them. At recess, Cassie and her brothers dug a hole on the road that the bus would be passing by. As it was raining, the hole was soon filled with water and the driver did not notice the hole that was there. The bus fell in the hidden pit that was filled with rain water. As a result the white children had to walk home and would continue to walk to school for nearly two weeks. Although there was no evidence that the hole was purposely dug, the night men assumed this as the work of the Negroes. So that night, the night men rode again determined to find the culprits behind it. That same night Cassie found herself wandering outside their house and discovered a group of cars coming in the direction of their house. She was relieved when the cars turned around to the other direction.
Stacey, although mature, didn’t hesitate to bend the rules they lived by but later discovered that all actions had consequences. The way that the children worked together just to get even with the whites represents the strong ties between the siblings. The action of the Logan children just proves that although they were still young, they were ready to fight the injustice that continued to loom in their community. The readers have an insight of the terror created by the presence of the night men. The reaction of the adults to the news that the night men were on their way, demonstrate the threat that white men pose to all black people.
When the children returned to school, Cassie insisted that she carry Lillian Jean’s books for her. This act shocked not only her brothers but Lillian Jean’s brother as well. Cassie pretended to be friendly with Lillian Jean for over a month. By then Lillian Jean was convinced that Cassie was her ‘slave’ and confided every little secret she had to her. Finally, Cassie took the opportunity she had been waiting for and had beaten Lillian Jean. When she threatened Cassie that she would be reporting this incident to her father, Cassie retorted that as soon as she did that, everybody would know all her secrets. Lillian Jean was horrified on hearing this while Cassie was satisfied knowing that she had had her revenge. This chapter shows the readers that friendship and racism do not go well together. Any friendship created between the blacks and the whites are considered to be doomed. Cassie’s attempt to befriend Lillian Jean to her advantage acted like a campaign of resistance and was her way of getting even with her. Cassie was aware from the start that her friendship with her was not real. Although Lillian Jean was surprised at Cassie’s change of attitude, she just assumed that Cassie had accepted the fact that she was more superior to her. Cassie knew that her revenge would have consequences but was realistic enough to think of a way of stopping Lillian Jean from talking. She made sure that no evidence was found after her beating Lillian Jean. According to T.J., this act of friendliness towards Lillian Jean was a way of betraying her people but unbeknownst to him, Cassie had another idea as to why she was befriending Lillian Jean.
One day, Mr. Ganger, Mr. Wallace and another member of the school board, attended Mama’s class as part of an inspection. They were stunned to find out that the students’ books were altered in order to hide the word ‘nigra’. They were even more shocked when they found that Mama’s teaching had nothing to do with their textbooks. Mrs. Logan stated that the children needed to know those things as it was all part of their history. She was fired for this, as the school board members found her teachings to be a threat to them and claimed that her teachings were ‘inappropriate’. It was later revealed that it was T.J. who actually told on Mrs. Logan to the Wallaces on one of his trips to the store. The readers find it ironic that T.J. who preached to Cassie about betrayal was betraying his own people. Another reason as to why the school board fired Mrs. Logan was to put her in a tight situation as they needed the money so badly as to pay the mortgage of the land.
In the middle of the novel, the readers find Mildred D. Taylor’s reference to W.E.B. DuBois’ book. DuBois was a black writer who wrote a book about African-American Literature. In his book, he states his belief that black people can gain equality if they strive hard enough. They are capable of this by proving to the white community that they have the ability to excel in both education and business. Connected to this, was Big Ma’s revelation to Cassie as to how the land came into the possession of the Logan family. She talked about how she and her husband, Paul Edward, met and his dream, to posses his own land. It was then that the land owned by Mr. Hollenbeck was put up for sale. He was eager to sell the land as Paul Edward was eager enough to buy it. The land was worth two hundred acres wide. It wasn’t until years later that Paul Edward bought another two hundred acres. This same land was once the property of the Grangers. In this chapter, the readers find out that not all white land owners are racists, for instance; Mr. Jamison. It is revealed to the readers that ownership of land holds a certain amount of respect and authority in his or her community. The land in this chapter, symbolizes the autonomy and the freedom of the black people after they were released as slaves.
The theme of friendship is tested again through the relationships between Jeremy Simms with the Logan children and T.J.’s friendship with the Wallaces. Jeremy Simms knows the conflict that has always been there between the blacks and the whites but still continued on being acquainted with the Logan children. During Christmas, Jeremy stopped by the Logans’ and gave them some gifts for Christmas. As soon as he left, Stacey asked Papa if their friendship could ever exist. Papa responded by saying that there was really nothing wrong with being friends with a white person, it was just that friendship between blacks and whites usually ended in trouble. Jeremy was aware of all the differences between him and Stacey but he was more of a friend compared to T.J. He didn’t care that his family didn’t approve of this friendship or that he was constantly made fun of. To him race had nothing to do with friendship. However, the readers will notice that T.J. was not fully aware of the trouble he had gotten himself into just by hanging out with the Simms’ brothers. T.J. was stupid enough to get involved with the Wallaces’ even though he knew that they were the ones that tarred Sam Tatum. The difference between T.J and Jeremy was that Stacey knew the consequences of his actions and he had a logical reason. Whereas T.J.’s reason for hanging out with the Wallaces’ was to make himself feel superior. He thought that by associating himself with them, he would be called better and that having white friends would allow him to get the authority he always wanted. T.J. didn’t realize that the Simms brothers were just using him to get the information they needed concerning the blacks. In ways, T.J and Jeremy were the same, they both wanted friendship that could never have existed.
The Logans tried to convince the black families in their community to shop in Vicksburg instead of the Wallace store so as to avoid trouble. Mr. Wallace threatened certain families that he would only decrease their pays or even throw them out of their land if they did so. Papa continued on his trip to Vicksburg even though, not many families had asked them to buy. On their way to Vicksburg, Stacey, Mr. Morrison and Papa were ambushed. While Papa was repairing a sabotaged wagon wheel, a truck pulled up and fired a gun—a bullet grazed his head. The horse reared up in fright and unexpectedly pulled the wagons wheel over Papa’s leg. Mr. Morrison fought off these men who turned out to be the Wallaces, breaking the back of Dewberry Wallace. The Logans’ resistance and boycott resulted in danger to their family. This event caused an increase in the tension and conflict. It also helped Cassie to learn the harsh truth about racism and the unfairness of her society. Despite these things being revealed to her, she still clung to the ideas of her parents about handwork and respect. Stacey was also affected by this and soon he realized that in a world where violence is used one cannot afford to remain a child. He becomes more aware of the dangers of life. Stacey’s impending manhood collided with T.J.’s perception of himself as ‘man’.
Mr. Logan’s use of metaphor of a Fig tree, forces the readers to believe that even though the Logans are in danger they are doing the right thing. The Fig tree belonged to the land like the oak and the maple trees something-similar to the rights of blacks to work and live a life with the whites. It is a small tree that continues to grow and produce fruit. Representing what the Logan family continued to do, even after realizing the dangers of their actions, they still did what they thought was right. The Logan family stuck to each other through thick and thin, supporting each other always.
Late one night, T.J. knocks at the Logans’ door. He was badly hurt. He later explained the reason behind this. He said that he went with the Simms brothers to Strawberry, thinking that they would buy him the gun that he wanted. But they found the store closed and the Wallaces attempted to rob the store and when the owners became aware of their presence, the white boys injured them. The Simms brothers were wearing masks whereas T.J. wasn’t, so automatically he was blamed. The Logan children helped him to get home. Chaos takes place when white men attack the Averys. The Logan children witnessing this ran home to get help. Papa upon hearing what happened began to take action. He took Mr. Morrison with him determined to stop those whites from hanging T.J. Soon after Papa and Mr. Morrison had left they noticed the Logans’ cotton field on fire. Big Ma and Mama rushed to fight it. It was assumed that the lightning caused the fire.
In the ending chapters of the novel, the readers find a song about a looming thunder. This song was sung by the slaves. It talks about the continued attempts of the whites to dominate them seventy years after the Civil War. The ending of the song signifies the blacks’ refusal to this domination. The sound of thunder marks the approach of crisis which might cause all the citizens, both whites and blacks alike, destruction. The weather is used as another metaphor. The weather works as a force as strong as the emotions love or hatred. As it started to rain, the fire that was created by the lightning brought out a force of sympathy. Fire is yet another metaphor. It represented the violence and danger between both the blacks and the whites.
As the people fought the fire, the readers find that they are compelled by an unselfish impulse but this idea is soon demolished when the readers realize that Mr. Granger’s desire was to only protect his land from the fire. In this chapter, it is proven that Mr. Granger and Papa actually have similarities. Both men give an enormous importance to their land and family.
At the end of the book, the readers discover T.J.’s fate. Papa revealed to Stacey and Cassie that T.J was already in jail and that he would probably be handed over to the chain gang. There was also a possibility that he might die. T.J.’s punishment will result in killing the boy inside of him. T.J.’s claim to be a man is then granted to him as he will have ‘a man’s punishment’. But this punishment was evitable from the start.
Mildred D. Taylor uses different themes, such as friendship and family as well as racism and prejudice in her novel. The friendship between the Logan children and Jeremy, T.J. and the Simms brothers and the friendship between Lillian Jean and Cassie, proves to the readers that not all types of friendships are true. In this case both Cassie and T.J. use this so-called ‘friendship’ with the whites to their own advantage, but Cassie is more practical compared to T.J. concerning this matter. The readers fail to understand the reasons that T.J. has on accepting friendship with the white people. It was this same ‘friendship’ that destroyed not only his life but his future as well. The theme of family is also seen by the unity the Logan children displayed when they punished the whites for splashing them with mud. It is also found in the way the adults deal with the issues they encounter. The Logans use a certain technique to educate their children; through communication. They communicate and explain things to them in the calmest way possible. Although there were minor times violence was used on the Logan children, their parents tried the best they could to avoid spanking them often.
The Logans are bonded by ties and values that they treasure dearly. They look out for each other and try to do everything in their power to do the right things. They assist their fellow blacks in times of crisis.
The novel, ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,’ proves that there is a reason for everything. Moreover, the readers discover that all actions have consequences. They realize that the attitudes of the characters are significant but at certain times unexpected.
Racism between the blacks and the whites can be abolished, if they wanted to. The only difference between the black and the white people was colour. Other than that, they can be equal in their society. The fire caused the whites to work alongside with the blacks. It just proves that there can be harmony among them if they choose to. It doesn’t matter what race you’re from or what the color of your skin is, because before God everyone is equal.
It is obvious to the readers that this inequality between blacks and whites is only a result of pride and domination. Besides that all the characters in the novel are capable of achieving equality. The whites just need more help to realize this fact. It is here that the act of converting ‘impossible’ to ‘possible’ takes place. Apart from this, both the black and white people should understand that regradless of their position in society or the colour of their skin or the race that their from, they are all equal people in front of God.
