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Introduction

Write about the unjust way black people are treated in 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry'. 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry' is set during the Great Depression after the American Civil war. African-American communities were forced into further poverty, banks failed and businesses closed. More than 15 million Americans became unemployed. African-Americans suffered more than whites, since their jobs were often taken away from them and given to whites. The entire story is based around a girl named Cassie who is trying to grow up in an extremely r****t Mississippi. She slowly understands why land is so important to her family as well as standing up for your rights. She is slowly revealed to a very r****t world, and see's many unjust acts towards black people. Firstly, the Logan children go to Great Faith which is a few miles away from their house. The school has no bus so the children must walk and this takes them one hour. On their way the white school's bus always drives past and the Logan children must scramble up onto the bank as not to get run over. The white children on the bus laugh and make comments towards the children on the road. What's more the Logan children's clothes become dirty with red dust and it goes into their eyes and noses. ...read more.

Middle

In the book it describes Mr Berry; "The face has no nose and the head no hair; the skin was scarred, burned, and the lips were wizened black, like charcoal." As you can see in this description they were burned very badly and the Wallace's laughed about it. The white men think it as funny and do not really think of them as people, more as animals. Sam Tatum was "tarred and feathered" because Mr Tatum told Mr Barnett that he didn't give him all the groceries he asked and paid for. Mr Barnett said he did add all the things that were on the list, and when Mr Tatum asked if he could see the list Mr Barnett asked him if he was calling him a liar. Mr Tatum said, "Yessuh, I guess I is!" In those times a black man was not allowed to call a white man a liar and so Mr Tatum broke this. But of course tar is awfully hard to take off and when you do take it off it will peel your skin too. Big Ma took Stacey, T.J. and Cassie to Strawberry to the market and also to take T.J. to the Barnett's Mercantile. While they were in the market field Cassie pointed out to Big Ma that they were all the way at the end of the field and no-one would be able to see them. ...read more.

Conclusion

Then Big Ma told Cassie to apologize but Cassie still argued. Once again Big Ma told her and this time Cassie did. But Mr Simms demanded her to say 'Miz' before his daughter's name. And with a "painful tear" Cassie did. You can tell how upset she was because in the book it says; "No day in all my life had been as cruel as this one." Lastly, in the final chapters T.J. had become 'friends' with R.W. and Melvin. But the Simms boys used this to their advantage. They would laugh behind T.J.'s back but not in front of him. Then one day they forced him to break into the Barnett's Mercantile and stole the pearl handle pistol. Also Mr and Mrs Barnett were left for dead. T.J. got all the blame and the Simms stood there watching when the Wallace's came for T.J., T.J. got sent to jail and was to go to court while the Simms boys were left free. In conclusion, all white people had superiority over the black community. They didn't treat them with respect, except a few (example; Jeremy and Mr Jamison). Blacks had to call white people Miss or Mr. And white people made the law not blacks. They could hang a black for any reason, or no reason at all and no questions were asked. Black people were treated unfairly and unjustly. ?? ?? ?? ?? Saimah Sarwar 10a English GCSE Coursework Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry. ...read more.

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