Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

By Mildred D. Taylor

Grades 6-9; Genre – Fiction; GRL W; AR pts: 10.0

The land is all-important to the Logan family. But it takes a while for Cassie and her three brothers to understand just how lucky they are to have it. They must learn the hard way that having a place they can call their own in rural Mississippi permits the Logans the luxuries of pride and courage that their poor black sharecropper neighbors can't afford.

Vocabulary

Writing Prompts

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. Describe the setting of this story. 1933 in Mississippi, autumn time, it was morning as the main characters were walking to school on a dirt road, passing the white kids school, then in the school for black kids p.24
2. Who are the Logan children? Little Man, Cassie, Christopher-John and Stacey; children who are a family who live in Mississippi with their mama, papa, and Big Ma; children who are the descendents of slaves p.2
3. Define racism and give an example from this chapter. A belief that one group of persons is superior to another, usually with color of skin. Ex. Berry’s getting burned by some white men p.6; White kids on a bus, where our characters can’t ride the bus p.8; Jeremy getting beat up because he walks with the main characters to school p.9; white kids go to one school our main characters have to go to another p.10; they got all of the old used books the white kids had used and what the books called them p.17
4. Why were most of the children at the Great Faith school have such thread worn clothes and shoes that were too small to wear? They were all so poor; they worked on plantations and didn’t make very much money p.11
5. Why didn’t Cassie and Little Man want the books the school was giving them? Because of what the books called them p.18

Chapter 2

1. Why did Papa bring home Mr. Morrison? He lost his job and he was going to work as a hired hand at the Logan’s farm p.27
2. Explain in your own words what happened to the Berry’s. they stopped at a gas station for gas and Henrietta heard some white men talk about the men she was with. John Henry left without getting gas and after dropping her off to her home, the white men drove up behind them and rammed into their car. He stopped at his uncle’s house for fear he was going to run out of gas and the men came and dragged him, Beacon and his uncle out of the house and set them all on fire p.29
3. Why did Cassie’s dad tell them all not to go the Wallace’s store? There was drinking, dancing and smoking and he felt there was going to be trouble one day for those kids who went p.30

Chapter 3

1. Why did Big Ma use the term “ignorant white folks” when talking to Little Man about getting dirty by the school bus each day? Ignorant means lacking knowledge or comprehension of something, so she understands that the white people don’t understand that black people should be treated similarly p.33
2. How did Big Ma show Little Man tough love when they were talking about the bus issue? Didn’t feel sorry for him and told him to stop fretting over it; told him to study hard in school and get a good education and he’d be ok; told him he could buy a car when he grew up to drive himself where he wanted to go p.33
3. What was Stacey’s plan to stop the bus from splashing them to and from school? To dig into the road to make it look like it was washed out p.38
4. When the bus fell into the deep ditch, why was Mama and Big Ma happy? Now the white kids will have to walk to school just like their kids do every day; now there’s no special privilege for white kids p.42
5. Why do you think the men in the cars with the headlights came to Cassie’s home that night? To punish the children for digging the ditch; to capture Mr. Morrison p.50

Chapter 4

1. Why did Mama and Big Ma suspect something was wrong with the children? They were listless, didn’t eat or sleep well p.53
2. Why were the children relieved after talking to TJ and hearing about the man who got tarred and feathered? They learned it wasn’t because of their prank to stop the bus p.57
3. Why did Papa bring Mr. Morrison to live near his family? To protect them p.59
4. Why did Stacey get whipped in school? TJ handed him his cheat notes and the teacher saw p.61
5. Why did Stacey decide to tell his Mama about fighting at the Wallace’s store? Mr. Morrison helped him understand he needed to. Stacey respected Mr. Morrison and wanted to do what he said p.66
6. Explain why Mr. Granger wants to buy their land? He just wants it to own it, he doesn’t need it; to take away their privilege of having land; it was his before the ward, but his family had to sell it since they didn’t have any money p.67

Chapter 5

1. Why did Big Ma park the wagon at the back of the field on market day? Only the white people’s wagons could park near the entrance p.80
2. How was Cassie supposed to act in the store while Mr. Barnette was helping everyone else before them? Patient, wait until he’s ready to help; helps everyone who’s white before helping her p.85
3. How had Cassie been insulted when in town? Mr. Barnette yelled at her for having no manners and expecting to be helped in proper order at the store and Lillian Jean made her apologize for bumping into her and expected Cassie to walk in the road p.86

Chapter 6

1. How did Uncle Hammer react when Cassie told him what happened in Strawberry? He was angry and wanted to get revenge on Mr. Simms so got into his car to go to Mr. Simms home p.93
2. How did Cassie’s mama explain the reason for Lillian Jean’s treatment? She explained that people are still stuck thinking that white people are better than black people even though slavery had ended decades before p.95
3. What did Uncle Hammer give Stacey on the way to church and why did he give it to him then instead of at Christmas? A new coat because his was worn and too small p.101
4. When Uncle Hammer persisted across the bridge to make the other car stop and wait for them, why was Mama so worried as she said, “one day we’ll pay.” Uncle Hammer’s actions will cause the Wallace’s to take offense and cause the Logan family to have issues because of it p.105

Chapter 7

1. What did Stacey do to the coat Uncle Hammer gave to him and what was his uncle’s reaction when he found out? Gave it to TJ; Uncle Hammer told him not to got get it, but got after him for doing whatever TJ wanted him to do and told him he needed to stick up for himself and not be influenced easily p.107
2. Summarize Mr. Morrison’s story about the night men. His little town got attacked by them since a woman complained some boys had hurt her. The night men came, started the town on fire, and killed women, children and men. His sisters died and his mother threw him out of the house so he wouldn’t get hurt and she fought next to his dad. They both died that night p.112
3. What did the children get for Christmas? Books, clothes and candy/food p.116
4. What did Mr. Jamison propose to Papa and Uncle Hammer? That he’ll back the credit for people to shop at the store in Vicksburg p.122
5. Why did Mr. Granger come to visit the Logan’s? to tell them not to go to Vicksburg for the groceries or he would cause them to lose their land p.122

Chapter 8

1. Describe the advice Cassie’s papa gave her about the incident with Lillian Jean? She has Uncle Hammer’s temper and she has to consider what is worse, the hurt you receive or the hurt your family would receive if they reacted the way they wanted to, but you can’t back down at some things or theya eat you alive ; he told her not to be mad, but she needed to decide how she was going to respond this treatment p.133
2. Why was Cassie so kind to Lillian Jean and being her “pet”? to get her to trust her and tell her things, so when she beat her up and made her apologize, she had leverage to keep Lillian Jean from telling anyone what she had done p.137
3. Explain why Mama lost her job as a schoolteacher? Mr. Granger came to her class and she admitted to not teaching everything in the book that the school board provided because it wasn’t true p.140
4. What did TJ say that got their Mama fired?  That she wasn’t a good teacher and destroyed school property by covering the books with paper and that she was the one who told everyone not to go to the Wallace’s store p.143
5. What’s a consequence of TJ talking to Kaleb Wallace about Ms. Logan and getting her fired? Nobody will talk to him at school p.146
6. Predict what’s going to happen to TJ and how his actions are going to affect his relationship with the Logan’s.  He’s going to side more with the white people and help them ruin the Logan’s p.147

Chapter 9

1. What’s the problem with TJ hanging out with Jeremy’s brothers who are 18 & 19? They’re much older than him; could be a bad influence; don’t treat him well when he’s not with them p.150
2. What’s a chain gang? A group of men who have been arrested or convicts that are forced to working on road construction, ditch digging or farming while chained together p.155
3. Describe the example Papa used when answering Cassie’s question if they were going to give up. He used a fig tree growing in an area with lots of trees overshadowing it. That fig tree keeps on growing and doesn’t give up. It has a right to be in the yard too. They aren’t giving up either p.156
4. What had happened to Stacey, Mr. Morrison and Papa on their way back from Vicksburg in the rain? Someone had loosened the wheels on the cart, they came off and while the men were putting the wheels on a car came from behind and someone shot Papa. Jack the mule got scared and the cart rolled and ran over Papa. Mr. Morrison went after the men and stopped them from hurting any of them. The men left and they brought Papa home with a broken leg and his head wrapped from the shot p.162

Chapter 10

1. Why were Cassie’s parents worried about money? Because her papa couldn’t work on the railroad to get the mortgage payments and her mom lost her teaching job p.166
2. What did Mr. Morrison do when Kaleb Wallace blocked the road with his truck? He picked up each end of the truck and moved it p.170
3. When Jeremy came to the pond and trees to see the Logan children, what did he tell them about TJ? That he was hanging around with white boys and stealing stuff from people p.173
4. What does it mean that the bank called up the note? The bank wanted the Logan’s to pay for the debt on the land immediately p.175
5. What did Uncle Hammer do to get the money to pay the debt at the bank? Sold his nice car and other things as well as borrowed some money p.178
6. Why did TJ come to the revival? To show off his new friends to his old friends and boast about his new clothes and friends and how they’d give him anything he wanted p.182

Chapter 11

1. Explain what happened at the Barnette’s store with TJ, R.W. and Melvin. TJ, M.W. and Melvin went to the store to get the pistol, but the store was closed. TJ climbed into the window and opened the door for the other boys. Once in they got the gun and were trying to get the metal case with money, but the Barnette’s came down the stairs. Mr. Barnette tried to stop them but got knocked in the head by the flat part of the ax and Mrs. Barnette fell and hit her head on the stove. The older boys beat up TJ since he said he was going to tell. They ran to do some business and TJ got a ride with a farmer close to the Logan’s home p.187
2. What will be the consequence of Stacey taking TJ home instead of telling his parents? The children all saw the Avery family with TJ get pulled out of their home. TJ was accused of breaking into the store p.191
3. Who came and tried to help the Avery family and TJ from getting hurt? Mr. Jamison p.193
4. Why did Cassie and her brothers need to run and tell Papa and Mr. Morrison about the events at the Avery home? To warn them and protect them from Kaleb Wallace and the Simms since they want to hang them both as well as TJ p.195

Chapter 12

1. Why was Mama so worried about Papa taking a gun to find Stacey and help TJ? She knew if he fired at the men he would be hung p.197
2. What started the fire on their cotton? Lightning p.199
3. What did Papa and Mr. Granger do to stop the fire? Dig a trench p.202
4. What had happened to TJ? He got taken into Strawberry to jail so he could be tried for breaking into the mercantile store and hurting/killing the Barnette’s p.205
5. How did Papa stop the hangings that night? He started a fire which caused Mr. Granger to stop focusing on TJ and instead putting out the fire on his fields p.208
6. Why did Cassie cry at the end of the story? She mourned what would happen to TJ; she cried for the things that happened in the night, but what would not pass; for the land p.210