Year 8GT English 2023

‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’

Novel Study – Essay Preparation

Name: _________________________________________
Key terms, skills and concepts to revise for Task 5:

 TEEEL essay structure

 Narrative Conventions
 Language Features
 Context of Production
 Context of Reception
 Representation of ideas, issues, groups, events, individuals and places
 Voices
 Perspectives
 Attitudes
 Values.
 Mildred D. Taylor - Author context

Kids today watch television, listen to CDs, and play video games for fun. Mildred D. Taylor’s childhood was very different.
She grew up enjoying her father’s interesting stories about the Taylor family’s life in the Mississippi countryside. Wilbert
Lee Taylor, Mildred’s father, sat by the fireplace in their home. There, he shared the family’s past with Mildred, her older
sister, Wilma, and their mother, Deletha. From these stories, Mildred Taylor learned that her family had courage, dignity,
and self-respect.

Her father’s magical storytelling ability made her want to share his talent. “I began to imagine myself as a storyteller,
making people laugh at their own foibles [small faults] or nod their heads with pride about some stunning feat of
heroism,” she remembers. The road to becoming an award-winning writer wasn’t smooth and easy, however.

Mildred Taylor was born on September 13, 1943, in Jackson, Mississippi. Like the Logan family in Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry, the Taylor family had lived in Mississippi since the days of slavery. That was very long ago, before 1865! However,
when Mildred was just a tiny baby, her parents decided to make a new life in the North. The Taylors moved to Toledo,
Ohio. They had a large family and many friends there. The family was close and loving.

The Taylors often took the long car trip back to Mississippi. They wanted to visit all their relatives. These trips were not
happy all the time because black people and white people were kept apart in many parts of the South. This policy was
called segregation (to segregate literally means ‘to keep apart’). Black people and white people could not use the same
rest rooms, water fountains, or playgrounds. Blacks and whites had to eat in different parts of restaurants, too.
Segregation made it very hard for black people to travel. It was hard on people’s hearts and minds.

“Each trip down reminded us that the South into which we had been born . . . still remained,” Taylor remembers. “On the
rest rooms of gasoline stations were the signs WHITE ONLY, COLORED NOT ALLOWED. Over water fountains were the
signs WHITE ONLY. In restaurant windows, in motel windows, there were always the signs WHITE ONLY, COLORED NOT
ALLOWED. Every sign we saw proclaimed our second-class citizenship.” These trips helped shape Taylor’s goal to write
about the proud African-American heritage she learned from her family. Her school experiences also helped her decide to
become a writer.

When she was ten years old, Mildred Taylor was the only black child in her class. She was upset about the one-sided
stories about black Americans in her history books. There was no pride in these stories. When she shared her own facts
about black history with the class, however, everyone thought she was making things up. “I couldn’t explain things to
them,” she said. “Even the teacher seemed not to believe me. They all believed what was in the history books,” Taylor
said. Since she was shy, Taylor did not say anything else. “So I turned to creating stories for myself, instead,” she recalls.

In 1965, Taylor earned her college degree from the University of Toledo. From 1965 to 1967, she taught English and
history to children in Africa. Then she studied at the University of Colorado’s journalism school. Taylor worked hard to
educate everyone in the university about the African-American experience. All the time, she kept thinking about making
her family’s stories her own.

In 1975, she wrote a story her father had told her about some trees that had been cut from the family’s land in
Mississippi. Taylor’s story, “Song of the Trees,” won first prize in the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest. A
council is a group of people who work together on a project. This council’s job was to bring people of different races
together. They knew that Taylor’s story could help black and white people understand one another. 7 Taylor expanded the
story into a short novel, also called Song of the Trees. The New York Times newspaper named it an Outstanding Book of
the Year in 1975. Taylor published Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry in 1976. Her career as a writer had begun.
 Glossary
Below are some important words and terms either represented or alluded to in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Conduct some brief research and provide definitions for these words to make it easier for you to read the novel.

Term Definition
Acre

Aloof

Bootleg

Boycott

Chain gang

Confederacy

Deacon

Fretting

Great Depression

Jim Crow Laws

Lynching

Meticulously

Moping

Mortgage

Nightriders

Packard

Plantation

Racism

Ransack

Reconstruction

Rural

Sharecroppers

Testily

Uppity

Wheedle
Context of production research
Context of production
 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry published in 1976
 The US Civil War (1861 – 1865) and its ongoing effects
 The Jim Crow Laws
 The Great Depression
 The Civil Rights Movement
 Rosa Parks
 Conduct your own contextual production research. Record notes here or in your English books.

Context of reception – Contextual readings can be influenced

by one’s education, class, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, political
developments/views. Each reader has a different context and will take away
different meanings from a text. Each reader should consider the changes from
when the text was written to the present day where it is received. Consider
how the following recent events bring new meaning to the ideas and themes
represented in the text:

Our modern 21st century reaction to themes represented in this novel:

We can see that in America, interestingly, not a lot of progress has been made when we look at the
Black Lives Matter protests and deaths in custody and so on. The George Floyd impact recently shows
how the themes of Taylor’s novel are very relevant today to a modern America, and readers would bring
this context to their reading of the novel.
An Australian reader (like us) may also look through our own lens and see parallels with the plight of
Aboriginal-Australians and the justice system, incarceration rates, and bring the treatment of minorities
to our reading of the text. Consider the impact of:

 Donald Trump’s presidency

 Social media hashtag activism
 Black Lives Matter movement
 Cancel culture - removal of statues, confederate flags, street names associated with historical
racism in southern US states, also throughout countries such as Australia and England.

Recommended supplementary context viewing:

 13th - Netflix documentary
 White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Finch - Netflix documentary

CONTENT WARNING:
CHECK WITH YOUR PARENTS AS TO
VIEWING THESE DOCUMENTARIES.
WHILST THEY ARE RICH IN CONTEXT,
THEY DO FEATURE UNSETTLING
HISTORICAL EVENTS
 Character list
 Cassie Logan
The narrator and protagonist. Cassie is the second-oldest Logan child. She has a fiery temper like her Uncle Hammer. Also, she has a
very naive understanding of racism.

 Little Man (Clayton Chester Logan)

A meticulously neat first-grader, Little Man is the youngest of the Logan children.

 Stacey Logan
A thirteen-year-old boy, Stacey is the oldest of the Logan children. He is part-adult, part-child.

 Christopher-John
A cheerful seven-year-old, Christopher-John is the second youngest of the Logan children. He is timid.

 Papa (David Logan)

Cassie's father. He values his independence highly, leaving to work on the railroad in order not to lose ownership of Logan land.

 Mama (Mary Logan)

Cassie's mother, a schoolteacher.

 Uncle Hammer
Papa's brother, Hammer lives in Chicago. He has a short temper.

 Big Ma (Caroline Logan)

Papa's mother. A woman of sixty, she runs the Logan farm.

 T. J. Avery
A trouble-making friend of Stacey's. The Averies are sharecroppers on Granger land. T. J. has a younger brother named Claude.

 Jeremy Simms
A white boy who is often beaten for walking to school with and associating with the Logan children. His sister is Lillian Jean, who is
often rude to Cassie. He has two big brothers, Melvin and R. W., who use T. J. pretending they are his friend.

 Lillian Jean Simms

A prissy seventh grader.

 Melvin and R. W. Simms

The older Simms brothers make trouble. They pretend to befriend T. J., but make fun of him behind his back.

 L. T. Morrison
A big, burly man with streaks of white hair who comes to work on the Logan farm.

 Mr. Jamison
A local lawyer; a white man. His forefathers bought land from Harlan Granger during the reconstruction, and sold some of it to the
Logan family. Mr. Jamison is very sympathetic to the plight of the black community.

 The Wallace Family (Kaleb, Dewberry, etc.)

The Wallace family runs a general store on Harlan Granger's land. They are violent, brutal people.

 Harlan Granger
A rich plantation owner who is anxious to buy back the Logan's land.

 The Lanier Family – a family of poor sharecroppers who end up dropping out of the Wallace store boycott (along with the Avery’s).
Narrative Conventions and Language Features – close analysis
As you read through each chapter of the novel, take note of key examples of evidence which you
could potentially use in your essays. Focus on how specific narrative conventions and language
features have been used for effect. The first few chapters have been started for you:

Analysed Evidence:
Narrative Idea represented Evidence from the text Effect on readers
Convention / How do values, attitudes,
Language Feature / or ideas being
Metalanguage challenged/endorsed
position viewers?

Chapter 1
Setting / Allusion Poverty, Great “Grasping more firmly his newspaper-wrapped
Depression notebook and his tin-can lunch of cornbread and oil
sausages, he continued on the dusty road” (p. 3).
Colloquial language “Y’all go ahead and get dirty if y’all wanna… me, I’m
Juxtaposition of gonna stay clean’ (P. 4).
attitudes
Challenging of “There was little I could do in a dress, and as for
traditional gender shoes, they imprisoned freedom-loving feet
roles accustomed to the feel of the warm earth” (p. 5).
Exposition; allusions References to ‘cotton plantations’… “Burning? What
to slavery, The Great burning?... Y-you mean just lit ‘em up like a piece of
Depression, mob wood?” (pp. 6-10).
lynching
Juxtaposition “Laughing white faces pressed against the bus
windows… Well, where’s our bus? Demanded Little
Man” (p. 13)
Recurring “In the very centre of the expansive front lawn,
motif/symbol waving red, white, and blue with the emblem of the
Confederacy emblazoned in its upper left-hand
corner, was the Mississippi flag” (p. 15)
Symbols Poverty, predominantly “This year we would all have books. Everyone
Christian setting gasped, for most of the students had never handled a
book at all besides the family Bible” (p. 21).
Segregated listing, Discrimination against “PROPERTY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION book
juxtaposition African American condition report” (p. 25)
students
Symbolism “Great Faith Elementary School”
Chapter 2
Extended metaphor – Depicts Mr Morrison as “The man was a human tree in height, towering
description of Mr a giant from a young above Papa’s six feet two inches. The long trunk of
Morrison person’s naïve and his massive body bulged with muscles, and his skin,
somewhat fearful of the deepest ebony, was partially scarred upon his
perspective face and neck, as if by fire” (p. 34)
Symbolism “Logan-crafted walnut and oak [furniture]” (p. 36)
Characterisation – “Miz Logan,” said Mr Morrison in a deep, quiet voice
frank tone, like the roll of low thunder, “I think you oughta know
humble/reflective I got fired off my job. Got in a fight with some men…
attitude beat ‘em up pretty bad.” (p. 37).

Allusion to the Great

Depression
Juxtaposition “Did the other men get fired?”
“No, ma’am,?” answered Mr Morrison. “They was
white.”
Allusion; connotative “The deacons prayed for the soul of John Henry
language Berry” (p. 39).
Setting “In this family, we don’t shop at the Wallace store”
(p. 41).
 Chapter 3
Personification “At first the rain had merely splotched the dust,
which seemed to be rejoicing in its own resiliency
and laughing at the heavy drops thudding against it”
(p.42).
Sinister Racial discrimination; “…the bus driver liked to entertain his passengers by
characterisation, cultural taunting people sending us slipping along the road… we consequently
setting of colour in the name of found ourselves comical objects to cruel eyes” (p. 43)
sport
Characterisation Symbolic “No one was more angered by this humiliation than
characterisation, Little Man…” (p. 44).
emblematic of future
civil rights movement –
outspoken and refuses
to accept the status
quo
Truncated diction “You jus’ keep on studyin’ and get yo’self a good
education and you’ll be all right” (p. 45).
Personification “It was as if the bus were a living thing, plaguing and
defeating us at every turn. We could not outwit it”
(p. 46).
Rising tension “We were not prepared for the twelve-foot lake
which glimmered up at us” (p. 52).
Personification, “It spluttered a last murmuring protest and died, its
simile, inclusive left front wheel in our ditch, its right wheel in the
language, irony. gully, like a lopsided billy goat on its knees” (p. 54).
Setting “With Big Ma before me, I could see nothing else and
I grew serious enough to complete my arithmetic
assignment” (p. 58).
Characterisation “They thinks we steppin’ outta our place, they feels
like they gotta stop us” (p. 62).
Setting, rising tension, “A caravan of headlights appeared suddenly in the
mood. east, coming fast along the rain-soaked road like cat
eyes in the night… its seven pairs of rear lights
glowing like distant red embers until they were
swallowed from view by the Granger forest” (p. 67).
Chapter 4
Setting, attitudes “Cassie, what’s the matter with you girl… You sure
are takin’ a sorrowful long time to churn that butter”
(p. 69)
Characterisation of “I was on the verge of blurting out the awful truth…”
siblings, values (p. 70).
Attitudes “Say, how ‘bout we sneak down to that ole Wallace
store and learn how to do them new dances?” (p.
73).
Allusion to cross “Say, y’all hear the latest ‘bout them night men? …
burnings, Our faces were eager question marks” (p. 73)
metaphor
Characterisation, “Mama’d kill me if she knowed I was tellin’ this…
Allusion to mob Tarred and feathered him… poured the blackest tar
lynching they could find all over him, then plastered him with
chicken feathers” (p. 74).
Empowered “I’m mighty interested in that place called Egypt she
representation, been tellin’ us ‘bout and them black kings that was
Educational values rulin’ back then” (p. 76).
Values “Little Man, Christopher-John, and I took to Mr
Morrison immediately and had no objections to the
cleaning” (p. 77).
Representation, “It was bad enough to be whipped in front of thirty
Juxtaposition, values others by a teacher, but to get it by one’s own
mother – now that was downright embarrassing” (p.
80-81)
Double negative “I don’t want no whipping!” (p. 83).
clause, legitimate
African-American
dialect
“Music beckoned from the storage room” (p. 84).
Attitudes “Folks like them Wallaces got no respect at all for Context of reception –
coloured folks and they just think it’s funny when we compare with a
fight each other” (p. 87). contemporary example
of racial intolerance
“Mr Granger had always wanted the land” (p. 88).
Exposition of land Counter-stereotypical “I wasn’t hardly eighteen when Paul Edward married
sale: characterisation, empowered, very me and brung me here... Ow–ow, my Lord, that was
simile, nostalgic tone shrewd/astute one smart man! He had himself a mind like a steel
characterisation trap… born into slavery he was” (pp. 89-90)
“They blood’s in this land, and here that Harlan
Granger always talkin’ ‘bout buyin’ it. He pestered
Paul Edward to death ‘bout buyin’ it, now he
pesterin’ me” (p. 94).
Allusion “There were too many ears that listened for others Link to modern reader
besides themselves, and too many tongues that response – bigoted
wagged to those they shouldn’t” (p. 99). online streamers;
broadcasting of
derogatory hate
speech
Connotative language, “When cotton-pickin’ time comes, he sells my cotton,
Entrenched cultural takes half of it, pays my debt up at the store and my
discrimination interest for they credit, then charges me ten to
fifteen percent more as ‘risk’ money for signin’ for
me in the first place” (p. 100).
Chapter 5
Setting “Hush up, Cassie,” Big Ma said. “You, too, T.J. Y’all in
town now and I expects y’all to act like it… I don’t
want no trouble” (p. 104).
Effects of segregation “Why don’t we move our wagon up there with them
other wagons, Big Ma? There’s plenty of room… we
could sell more”
“Them’s white folks’ wagons, Cassie” (p. 106).
Characterisation Dignity and respect “I liked Mr. Jamison… He was the only white man I
had ever heard address Mama and Big Ma as
‘Missus’” (p. 107).
Clash of values, “I’d sell my life for that gun”…
Naïve characterisation “What the devil you gonna use it for? Can’t hunt with
it”…
“Ain’t s’pose to hunt with it. It’s for protection” (p.
108).
Representation of “Adults were one thing; I could almost understand Contrast with a
entrenched cultural that. They ruled things and there was nothing that modern reader
segregation; clear could be done about them” response
boundaries between
adults and children”
Juxtaposition of very “Stacey!” I exclaimed, relieved to see him by my side.
confident female “Tell him! You know he ain’t fair making us wait –”
representation with She your sister, boy?” Mr. Barnett spat across the
misogynistic, racist counter (p. 112).
adult
“No day in my life had been as cruel as this one.” (p.
116).
Chapter 6
Situational irony, “Uncle Hammer, you – you went and got a car like
empowered Harlan Granger’s?”
representation. Uncle Hammer smiled a strange, wry smile. “Well,
not exactly like it. Mines a few months newer” (p.
120)
Characterisation, “Unnecessary trouble! You think my brother died and Link to modern reader
irony, different I got my leg half blown off in the German war to have response – compare
attitudes, clash of
values.
Characterisation,
Setting
Voice of equality
Exposition/ Direct
historical allusion
Juxtaposition,
Representation of
racism
Setting,
Perspective
Narrative point-of-
view, doubtful, critical
tone
Hyperbole,
juxtaposition
Values
Allusion to the
Reconstruction era (period
after the American Civil
War) during which the US
grappled with the
challenges of reintegrating
into the Union the states
that had seceded and
determining the legal status
of African Americans.
Regressive attitudes
Allusion to exploitation
of African-Americans
after the abolition of
slavery
Proud, empowered
voice
Characterisation of Mr
Jamison
Narrative point-of-
view
some red-neck knock Cassie around anytime it suits with treatment of
him?” (p. 124). returned African-
American soldiers after
serving in Vietnam.
Questioning of “But, Mama, that Lillian Jean ain’t got the brains of a
dominant societal flea! How come I gotta go ‘round calling her ‘Miz’ like
values show grown or something?”
Mama’s voice grew hard. “Because that’s the way of
things, Cassie” (p. 126)
“White is something just like black is something” (p.
127)
Page 127
“Most white people still think of us as they did then –
that we’re not as good as they are” (p. 129).
“Inside the Packard, the world was a wine-coloured
luxury. The boys and I, in the back, ran our hands
over the rich felt seats, tenderly fingered the fancy
door handles and window nobs, and peered down
amazed at the plush carpet peeping out on either
side of the rubber mats” (p. 135).
Critical questioning of “Taking the old Soldiers Road. Supposedly, Rebel
the logic behind soldiers had once marched up the road and across
championing certain Soldiers Bridge to keep the town from falling into the
historical hands of the Yankee Army, but I had my doubts
narratives/myths. about that” (p. 137)
Dehumanising/Othering “A black man’s life ain’t worth the life of a cowfly
down here” (p. 138)
Chapter 7
“In this house we do not give away what loved ones
give us. Now go bring me that coat” (p. 142).
“As long as there are people, there’s gonna be
somebody trying to take what you got… and drag you
down” (p. 143)
“Each night I fell asleep with the hope that the
morning would bring Papa… But the days passed,
prickly cold and windy, and he did not come” (p.
144).
“Reconstruction was just ‘bout over then, and them
Northern soldiers was tired of being in the South and
they didn’t care ‘bout no black folks in shantytown.
And them Southern whites, they was tired of
Northern soldiers and free Negroes, and they was
trying to turn things back ‘round to how they used to
be” (p. 147).
“Breeding slaves brought a lot of money for them slave
owners, ‘specially after the government said they
couldn’t bring no more slaves from Africa” (p. 149)
“Y’all start messin’ with those folks down in here, no
telling what’ll happen” (p. 150)
“We’re just about the only family with any collateral
at all” (p. 152).
“Man sold me these books told me these two was
written by a black man… They can’t read ‘em now, I
said, they’ll grow into ‘em” (p. 153).
“I’m a Southerner, born and bred, but that doesn’t
mean I approve of all that goes on here, and there
are a lot of white people who feel the same” (p. 161)
The dangers of “Ever since we were boys, Harlan’s lived in the past.
nostalgia in His grandmother filled him with all kids of tales about
 mythologising the past the glory of the South before the war” (p. 163).
“Punishment of a white man for a wrong done to a .
black man would denote equality. Now that is what
Harlan Granger absolutely would not permit” (p.164)
“You’re sure giving folks something to talk ‘bout with
that car of yours, Hammer” (p. 166).
Clash of perspectives, “This is a quiet and peaceful place… I gonna hide that
Threatening tone I think y’all making a big mistake, both for the
challenged by wit of community and for yourselves, going all the way
Uncle Hammer. down to Vicksburg to do your shopping. They don’t
seem very neighbourly –’
“Neither does burning,” said Uncle Hammer” (p. 168)
Competing “Slave land,” said Papa.
perspectives Mr Granger nodded. “Wouldn’t have lost this section
if it hadn’t been stolen by your Yankee carpetbaggers
after the war. But y’all keep on playing Santa Claus
and I’m gonna get it back – real easy” (p. 169)
Chapter 8
Conflicting attitudes “I got a solution… try studying” (p. 174).
towards education
Extended metaphor, “For the month of January I was Lillian Jean’s slave
witty characterisation and she thoroughly enjoyed it… All I had to do to
prime the gossip pump was smile nicely and whisper
a ‘Miz Lillian Jean’ every now and then. I almost
hated to see the source dry up” (p. 177).
Setting “As we sauntered down the road, I only half listened
to her; I was sweeping the road, looking for the deep
wooded trail I had selected earlier in the week… Just
a bit further… up ahead there” (p.179)
Narrative point-of- “Her face paled. Then, red with anger, she stepped
view, foreshadowing, daintily across the clearing and struck me hard across
empowered the face. For the record, I didn’t plan on her hitting
characterisation me again… You wanna be bald, girl?” (p. 180).
Polysyndeton, “Come talkin’ ‘bout how Miz Logan failed him on
disgruntled, bigoted purpose and then said she wasn’t a good teacher and
attitudes. Malicious that she stopped everyone from comin’ up to they
characterisation store” (p. 188)
“His voice faded into the wind as we left him and we
heard no more” (p. 194)
Chapter 9
Setting, Symbolism “Spring. It seeped unseen into the waiting red earth
in early March, softening the hard ground for the
coming plow and awakening life that had gently
sleeping through the cold winter… English dogwood
bushes readied themselves for their annual Easter
bloom” (p. 195)
“T.J.’s not dumb, Cassie. He just wants attention, but
he’s going after it the wrong way” (p. 198).
Symbolism, extended “That fig tree’s got roots that run deep… Just keeps
metaphor, voice. on growing and doing what it gotta do. It don’t give
up. It give up, it’ll die” (p. 206).
Attitudes towards “A boy get as big as Stacey down here and he’s near
masculinity a man. He’s gotta know a man’s things. He gotta
know how to handle himself” (p. 207).
Chapter 10
Characterisation of “You think we should write Hammer and borrow
Uncle Hammer some money?” Mama asked.
Papa did not answer right away. “No…” he said
finally…”If he knows I’m not on the railroad, he’ll
wanna know why not” (p. 219).
Setting, class divisions “What we’re going to need more than anything is
insecticide to spray the cotton. The bugs are getting
pretty bad…
 If only this leg wasn’t busted!” (p. 220).
Conflicting attitudes “Hammer’s way would get you killed and you know
it, so stop talking like that” (p. 221)
Characterisation of Mr “Slowly, his muscles flexing tightly against his thin
Morrison, rising shirt and the sweat popping off his skin like oil on
tension water” (p. p 225).
Imagery, pathetic “August dawned blue and hot. The heat swooped low
fallacy, over the land clinging like an invisible shroud, and
foreshadowing? through it people moved slowly, lethargically, as if
under water” (p. 227).
Irony Double standards “As long as the Wallaces, embarrassed by their
between injuries at the hands of Mr Morrison, did not make an
classes/cultural groups; official complaint about the incident, then we must
power and influence remain silent also. If not, Mr Morrison could be
charged with attacking white men” (p. 228).
Chapter 11
Characterisation Mr Morrison’s song (p. 243).
“I’ll just tell her them white boys beat me for no
reason and she’ll believe it” (p. 248).
Personification “The thunder was creeping closer now, rolling angrily
over the forest depths” (p. 250).
Setting, “Y’all decide to hold court out here tonight?” (p.
characterisation of 254).
Mr. Jamison, values.
“Cassie, you gotta get Papa now… I don’t think Mr.
Jamison can hold them – “ (p. 256)
Chapter 12
Setting, attitudes Capital punishment, “You fire on them and they’ll hang you for sure.
towards justice barbaric remnant of They’d like nothing better” (p. 259).
uncivilised society
“Mama, the cotton… It’s on fire!” (p. 261).
“We watched until they were swallowed by the
blackness that lay between the house and the fire”
(p. 263)
“Is there enough cotton left to pay the taxes?” (p.
270).
“Papa had found a way, as Mama had asked, to make
Mr. Granger stop the hanging” (p. 273)
Characterisation “I had never liked T.J., but he had always been there,
a part of me, a part of my life, just like the mud and
the rain” (p. 276).

Chapter-by-Chapter Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1
1. How do Cassie and her brothers react to the news of the Berrys’ being burned? Is their reaction as intense as you
might expect? What does this reveal about the social environment they live in?

They reacted very scared and they thought that they could be next.

2. Who is Jeremy? Describe him. What is unique about him, and what role do you think he might play in this story?

Jeremy is the person who follows him everytime they go to school. This person may help them in one occation.

3. How do the students react to the news that they’re going to have their own textbooks this year? What does this
reveal about the conditions at their school?
4. Describe Cassie. What is her personality like? What is her attitude toward school, and why do you think she has
this attitude?

5. Describe Little Man. What is his personality like? What is his first reaction to the book he is given? After he decides
to accept it and opens it, what further reaction does he have? Why?

6. What is Mrs. Logan’s reaction to the news Miss Crocker brings about her children’s behaviour? What does this tell
us about her? What does she decide to do with her class’s books, and why do you think she does this?

This means that the parents are strict and care about their children. In the next part of the

7. What predictions can you make about possible future developments in the story?

Chapter 2
1. What are the Logan kids doing at the beginning of the chapter? What does this tell us about the family’s situation?

2. Describe Mr. Morrison. Based on what he says to Mrs. Logan, what kind of person does he seem to be? What is
the real reason he was fired from his job? Why do you think Mr. Logan decided to hire him to work at their home?

3. What did the white mob say as an excuse for attacking John Henry Berry? What do you think is the real reason
they attacked him? What is the sheriff’s reaction to the woman who tells him about the attack, and what does this
tell us?

4. What does Mr. Logan tell his kids about the Wallaces’ store, and what does this show about him? What
connection can you guess the Wallace store might have to the burnings of the Berrys?

Chapter 3
1. What attitude do Mama and Big Ma have toward the kids’ trouble with the school bus and resentment about not
having their own school bus—what advice do they give the kids? What do you think of their advice?

2. What does Cassie realise about Jeremy? Knowing this, can you explain Jeremy’s personality and his kindness to
the Logan kids?

3. How do the Logan kids decide to deal with the misery and humiliation of being splashed every day by the school
bus? How do you feel about their prank? Do you think revenge is sometimes justified (“an eye for an eye”), or should
we always “turn the other cheek”? Would you have handled the situation the same way? What other ways might
there be to handle it?

4. Why weren’t T.J. and his little brother, Claude let in on the bus prank?

5. What reaction do Mama and Big Ma have to the school bus’s “accident”? What does this show about them? How
would their reaction have been different if they’d known what really happened? What does their relief that no one
got hurt show about them?

6. What does Mr. Avery mean by, “They’s ridin’ tonight”? Why does Mama make the kids go to bed? How do they
react to this, and what does this show about them? Why doesn’t Mama accept Stacey’s help? What does she mean
when she says that Stacey does help her, more than he knows?

Chapters 4

1. Based on his words and actions in this chapter, describe T.J.’s personality. How do you feel about him? What
things does he say and do to make you feel this way?

2. How do the Logan kids get T.J. to reveal what he knows about the “night men”? What does he say that makes
them feel relieved?

3. Why is it ironic that T.J. Avery is holding the W.E.B. DuBois’ book (this American sociologist, historian, and civil
rights advocate believed that African Americans would gain equality by excelling in education and business) when
the Logan children walk in?
4. Do you think T.J. is telling the truth about just wanting to read Mrs. Logan’s book about the ancient Egyptians?
Why might he be interested in them?

5. Why do you think Stacey keeps his distance from Mr. Morrison at first—why is he so aloof? Why do you think he
later changes his mind about Mr. Morrison?

6. Describe Stacey. What are his values (what is important to him), and what things does he do in the chapter to
show this? Explain his “code of honour.” Would you have handled the problem with T.J. the same way?

7. Stacey confesses to Mama that he was at the Wallace store. How does this action contribute to the
characterisation of Stacey?

8. Why do you think Mr. Morrison decides not to tell Mrs. Logan about the kids’ going to the Wallace store? Why do
you think Stacey decides to tell her himself?

9. In addition to the conflict between Stacey and T.J., this chapter introduces Big Ma’s conflict with Harlan Granger,
who is pressuring her to sell her land. Where does Big Ma go to soothe her feelings of conflict and why is this place
significant?

10. Based on her long conversation with Cassie, describe Big Ma. Why do you think she’s so determined not to sell
the family’s land to the Grangers?

11. Why doesn’t Mrs. Logan punish the kids for going to the Wallaces’ store, and why does she take them to see Mr.
Berry?

12. What does Mrs. Logan decide to do about the Wallaces? Why doesn’t she mention the burning of the Berrys to
anyone? What barriers are there to her plan’s success? What do you think she plans to do about Mr. Turner’s credit
problem?

Chapter 5
1. What does Cassie mean when she says that T.J. has already “wheedled his way back into Stacey’s good graces”?
What do she and Big Ma think of T.J., and why?

2. What is Cassie’s reaction to Strawberry, and why? What expectations did she have, and why do you think she
might have had such expectations?

3. Why does Big Ma park her wagon at the back of the field? What is Cassie’s reaction to this, and what does her
reaction tell us about her?

4. Why is Cassie so interested in seeing Mr. Jamison? What does her attitude toward him tell us about her?

5. What foreshadowing is there in this chapter regarding T.J.? Why do you think T.J. admires the pearl-handled pistol
in Barnett’s mercantile store? Why do you think he wants a handgun so badly, and what prediction can you make
based on this?

6. Why do you think T.J. and Stacey don’t react more strongly to Mr. Barnett’s unfair treatment? Remember, they
have been to Strawberry before. What attitude do they have toward whites’ prejudices against them? “I know it and
you know it, but he don’t know it, and that’s where the trouble is.”

7. List a few similarities between Mr. Barnett and Mr. Simms (textual evidence required here).

8. How does Hazel (the woman who was next to the Logans at the market) react to Cassie’s situation, and what does
this tell us? How would you have dealt with the situation if you were Hazel? Imagine that you’re in the same social
context that they are.

9. Why do you think Lillian Jean is so mean to Cassie, and what does this tell us about the phenomenon of racism?
Why is Jeremy’s attitude different? Do you think Jeremy shows a kind of bravery in this chapter?

10. What is the significance of this chapter for Cassie? Why is her experience so deeply traumatic?

11. Why does Big Ma make Cassie apologise to “Miz Lillian Jean”?
Chapter 6
1.Why is Cassie angry with Big Ma? Why does Stacey tell her not to blame Big Ma?

2. What is the significance of Uncle Hammer’s name?

3. Explain the significance of Uncle Hammer’s “cold, distant glaze” and “aloofness” given that he can obviously be a
warm, caring man? Describe him based on what he says and does in this chapter.

4. Uncle Hammer has a new car. What is significant about the make and colour of this car? How does it serve as a
symbol in the book?

5. Why doesn’t Big Ma want Cassie to tell her story about the Simmses, and why does Mrs. Logan let her tell it?

6. Why does Uncle Hammer laugh when Cassie tells him that she complained about Mr. Barnett’s unfair treatment of
them?

7. What do you think Uncle Hammer means when he says, “You think my brother died and I got my leg half blown off
in their German war to have some red-neck knock Cassie around anytime it suits him?”

8. What is “the way of things,” according to Mrs. Logan? How does she explain the existence of racism? Why does
she say that people like Mr. Simms hold on to their racist beliefs so hard?

9. Why does Cassie want her mother to fix her hair, and why is Stacey so excited about his new coat?

10. How does Uncle Hammer get away with crossing the bridge first even though the truck was already on it? Why
do you think he does this?

11. What frightening instance of foreshadowing occurs at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 7
1. Why did Stacey give his coat to T.J.? What does this show about Stacey and T.J.’s personalities?

2. How does Uncle Hammer handle this situation (involving Stacey’s coat), and why do you think he does this—is it
because he’s a mean person? What experiences might you guess Hammer has had to make him so wary of being
taken advantage of by others? (“…there’s a lot of folks don’t want you to make it.”)

3. Why does Mr. Logan allow Mr. Morrison to tell his story in front of the kids? What things does he tell the Logans
about?

4. What evil scheme do the Wallaces have to do harm to the African-American community?

5. What things do the Logans enjoy at Christmastime—what are the sources of their happiness? Why do you think
things like their Christmas meal and store-bought liquorice are so important to them?

6. What is significant about the books (the books by Alexander Dumas and Aesop’s Fables) the Logan children
receive from Christmas? What lesson do you think Mr. Logan is trying to convey to them?

7. What is significant about the wooden flute Jeremy gives Stacey?

8. What is Mr. Logan’s attitude toward Stacey’s friendship with Jeremy, and why do you think he has this attitude?
What foreshadowing is there in his comments about blacks who hang around with whites?

9. What kind and helpful things does Mr. Jamison say and do in this chapter? What warning does he give them about
Harlan Granger, and what explanation does he give for Granger’s dislike of the Logans and their crusade to punish
the Wallaces?

10. Why does Harlan Granger visit the Logans? In what ways does he threaten them? What “secret” might he have at
the end of the chapter? How do the Logans react to his threats?

Chapter 8
1. Why do you think Stacey insists that no one tell anyone about how Cassie is dealing with Lillian Jean?
2. Describe Mr. Logan’s philosophy of life based on the advice he gives Cassie.

3. What is Lillian Jean’s reaction to Cassie’s subservience? What does this show about her?

4. Why do you think T.J. gets so angry about being failed by Mrs. Logan and runs away?

5. Why do you think Cassie decides to get revenge on Lillian Jean? How is her plan cunning?

6. Why do you think Lillian Jean is so shocked about Cassie’s turning on her suddenly? How did Cassie expect she
would react?

7. Why does Mrs. Logan continue talking openly about the truth of slavery after Mr. Granger and the other white
men come into the room?

8. What is the real reason that Mr. Granger has Mrs. Logan fired? What justification does he give for firing her? Why
do you think Mr. Wellever obeys them?

9. Why is losing her job especially painful for Mrs. Logan?

10. What terrible thing do the Logans find out T.J. has done? Why do you think he did it? How do the Logan kids
react to his betrayal? What reaction does T.J. have? Why is this a significant moment for Stacey?

Chapter 9
1.What is ironic about Cassie’s statement that she “volunteered to sacrifice school and help” her father and Mr.
Morrison plow the field?

2. Why doesn’t Jeremy like his brothers and sisters? Why is this shocking to Stacey? What good personality
characteristic of Jeremy’s does this show?

3. According to Jeremy, how do R.W. and Melvin treat T.J.? Why is Stacey concerned about this treatment?

4. According to Mrs. Logan, why do R.W. and Melvin hang out with T.J.? Why does T.J. hang out with them?

5. What foreshadowing occurs after Mr. Jamison’s visit?

6. What is Mr. Logan waiting for before he goes back to his railroad job? For what reasons does he decide to leave?

7. What measure taken by the white landowners, and what threat made by the Wallaces, make Mr. Avery, Mr.
Lanier, and others withdraw from the plan to shop in Vicksburg?

8. How does Stacey react to Mr. Avery and Mr. Lanier’s decision? How does Mr. Logan react to this?

9. What does the little fig tree overshadowed by the larger trees symbolise for Mr. Logan—what lesson does it hold
for the Logans?

10. Why does Mr. Logan insist on taking Stacey with him to Vicksburg, and why does Mrs. Logan object?

11. What foreshadowing is there regarding T.J. in the Logans’ conversation about going to Vicksburg?

12. What does the attack on the Logans show about their characters vs. those of their attackers?

Chapter 10
1. How does Stacey feel about his father’s injury, and how does Mr. Logan react to this?

2. Why do you think Mr. Morrison decides to move Kaleb Wallace’s car off the road the way he does?

3. Why does Mr. Morrison insist on staying with the Logans despite the danger he’s in?

4. Why can’t the Logans report the Wallaces’ attack to the police?

5. How would you describe the Logan kids’ relationship with Jeremy?

6. Where does Jeremy spend a lot of time and even sleep? What does this tell us about him?
7. What bad news does Mr. Morrison bring to the Logans? Why has the bank done this? Do you think such a thing
could happen today?

8. How do the Logans manage to pay off the loan and keep their land? What does this tell us about Hammer?

9. Why do you think Hammer lives in Chicago now? Why does David insist that he go back there after making the
payment to the bank?

10. Describe T.J.’s appearance and behaviour when he stops by the Revival. How do the Logans react to him? Why
do you think he wanted to come by? What things does T.J. not understand that make Cassie feel sorry for him?

Chapter 11
1. Interpret the song that Mr. Morrison is singing at the beginning of Chapter 11.

2. Explain the deviousness of R.W. and Melvin’s plan to let T.J. take the blame for what happened at the Barnetts’
store. Why shouldn’t the plan have worked, and why did it work? What is the irony of their going to the Averys’
house to “arrest” T.J.? What do they intend to do before Mr. Jamison arrives?

3. How does Cassie explain Stacey’s lifelong friendship with T.J. and his willingness to help T.J.?

4. Do you think that any of the members of the lynch mob would have killed T.J. by themselves? What does this tell
us about the nature of racism and hate?

5. What is the sheriff and Mr. Granger’s attitude toward the lynch mob’s activities?

Chapter 12
1. What does Mr. Logan mean when he says, “This thing’s been coming a long time, baby, and T.J. just happened to
be the one foolish enough to trigger it”?

2. What is significant about the way the people of the community put out the fire? Why do you think Mildred Taylor
chose to plot the story this way?

3. How did Mr. Logan save T.J.? What sacrifice did he make to save him? Why did he choose this way of dealing with
the situation?

4. What do you think will happen to T.J.? What will happen to R.W. and Melvin? Why?

5. What do you think the fire, the rain, and the land could be symbols of?

6. Why do you think Mildred Taylor chose to end the story right after the night of the lynch mob and the fire?

7. Is the Civil Rights Movement still active today? Is racism still an issue that kids and teens have to face every day?
Refer to research from current news sources to support your claims.
Student contextual research notes/article links:
 Standard Essay Conventions and Rules
1. Your essay will have an introduction, a series of body paragraphs and a conclusion.

2. Introduction will contain:

 A broad opening sentence that captures attention (sometimes called a hook);
 A final sentence that directly answers the question or addresses the issue (called a thesis statement
or contention or proposition);
 Acknowledge texts that will be discussed (including title, author, publication date). This may
include some contextual information or a short statement about the themes or ideas presented by
the texts.

3. Body Paragraphs.
 Paragraphs will contain ONE main idea only.
 Use the TEEEL rule: each body paragraph will consist of a:
o Topic Sentence / Statement using words from the question;
o Explanation of that idea;
o Example to illustrate the idea (a quote or reference to an event);
o Explain / Elaborate on the effects of the quote on your topic (discuss any connotations).
Repeat this process with another example and elaboration;
o Link back everything you have said to your thesis.
 Any quote used must be given some context, explained and linked to the main idea of the
paragraph.
 All body paragraphs will end with a sentence that links back to the main topic or the question.

4. Conclusion will contain:

 Several sentences that lead to your final sentence.
 A final sentence that clinches/advances your answer/argument.

5. Citing Texts
 Texts that are capable of being published by themselves will be underlined, e.g. Titanic (the film)
and The Great Gatsby (the novel)
 Texts that are not published by themselves will receive (single) inverted commas, e.g. ‘Mister’ (the
short story) and ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ (the poem)

6. Quoting

 Quotations should never stand by themselves. They must be introduced and explained.
 Introduce the quote by giving it some context. e.g. Who said this? When – at what point in the
action/argument? Do not use words from the quote.
 Keep the quote as short as possible – but it must still make sense. Use ellipsis if needed. Embed the
quote if possible by using sentence fragments.
 Place the words in single inverted commas.
 Explain how the quote supports your idea or links to what you have said in that paragraph.

7. General Tips for Success

 Always refer to the events in a text in present tense.
 First reference to author is by FULL name; subsequent references are by LAST name only. Choose
appropriate quotations and weave them into the paragraph.
 Use one point of view (preferably third person).
 Plan your essay first so that you have a solid, logical structure.
  Proofread your essay once it is finished.
 ASK yourself: Have I really answered the question? Have I answered all parts of the question?
 Always present your work in the best way possible. It will be a physical symbol of the attitude you
have taken towards the task and an expression of who you are.

Some effective quotation examples:

Create an intro to your Format for Quotations

quotation that helps
the reader understand
its meaning. This is
called a “tag line.”
Example #1 Basic Quotation
A change in Jem’s attitude toward the Radley’s is shown when Scout reports, “Less than
two weeks later we found a whole package of chewing gum, which we enjoyed, the fact
that everything on the Radley Place was poison having slipped Jem’s memory” (Lee, 60).

After every quote, write the author’s

last name and the page number that
the quote is found on in parenthesis,
followed by period.
Double quotation
marks around the
entire quote; single Example #2 A Quote within a Quote
quotation marks to
Jem’s frustration with the injustices of the world is shown in the courtroom. “’Doesn’t
show where the
quotations exist make it right,” said Jem stolidly. He beat his fist softly on his knee. ‘You just can’t
already in the text. convict a man on evidence like that – you can’t’” (Lee, 220).

Author’s last name

and page number.

Example #3 Changing a word or two in a quotation to clarify its meaning.

Harper Lee helps her readers understand why this neighbour is so mysterious to the
children of the neighbourhood when she states that, “Mr. Radley kept… [Boo] chained
to the bed most of the time” (Lee, 16).
If you make a change to the original text (for clarity), make
use of ellipsis and put the change in square brackets.