Knowledge
What is the term that describes moments in literature or film when readers/viewers know more about what's happening in the story than the characters?
Dramatic Irony
Why do the Logans initially decide that TJ is no good?
TJ talked about their mother outside of the Wallace store, which resulted in her being fired from her teaching job.
Pg. 188-190
Who wrote the epigraph at the beginning of Chapter 12?
Mildred D. Taylor
Who is the man who sold the Packard when the bank called up the Logan's loan?
Uncle Hammer
Pg. 235 - 236
What does "thunder" represent literally in this novel?
What does "thunder" represent figuratively in this novel?
Literally: The coming storm
Figuratively: The building tension and climax
What does he call the war?
Uncle Hammer fought in World War 1.
He calls it "their German War."
How did the fire start?
The fire started because of Papa. He set the fire.
Pg. 273 - 274
"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 lain gently sleeping through the cold winter. By the end of March it was evident everywhere: in the barn where three new calves bellowed and chicks the color of soft pale sunlight chirped; in the yard where the wisteria and English dogwood bushes readied themselves for their annual Easter bloom, and the fig tree budded producing the forerunners of juicy, brown fruit for which the boys and I would have to do battle with fig-loving Jack; and in the smell of the earth itself."
What is the mood of this scene?
Mood: Calm, peaceful, relaxed, at ease
Which family is responsible for the burning of the Berry family?
The Wallaces
What does the Packard symbolize in the novel? (Think about who owns the Packards)
The Packard symbolizes how Uncle Hammer demanded to be treated like an equal, while men like Granger tried to keep southern Black families oppressed.
What term refers to the deliberate placement of two objects or ideas beside each other in order to contrast them?
Juxtaposition
How did Cassie get revenge on Lillean Jean Simms for the incident in Strawberry?
Cassie made Lillean Jean believe that she was her friend, tricking her into telling Cassie all of her secrets. Then, Cassie took Lillean Jean into the woods and pushed her, knowing that she could never get back at Cassie because she knew too many secrets, now.
Pg. 177 - 181
What is an example of the criticism that Taylor faced for this novel? Name 2.
-Use of racial slurs
-Violent depictions of discrimination
-Graphic portrayal of white racism
Who backed the boycott against the Wallace store? Why did he have to back the shoppers?
Mr. Jamison extended the credit for sharecroppers and the Logans to shop in Vicksburg.
What is the most prominent motif in this novel?
What does it symbolize?
It symbolizes the coming storm and rising tension.
What term refers to the period of time after the Civil War when the United States tried to rebuild socially and politically?
Reconstruction
When did the Logans first obtain their land?
Paul Edward bought the first 200 acres in 1887.
Why did Taylor choose to include Mrs. Logan's history lesson? What is different between Mrs. Logan's history lesson and the history lessons that Taylor endured?
Taylor hated being taught that Black men and women were "docile" and only subservient. She wanted to portray the way in which Black history should be taught to students.
Who is the narrator of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Why are they unreliable?
The narrator is Cassie Logan. She is unreliable because she is only 9, and therefore does not understand everything that is happening in the story and can't accurately relay the events or their meanings.
What two things are being juxtaposed in tjhe final paragraph of page 260?
The family is being juxtaposed with the storm outside. The Logans are waiting silently and patiently while the storm is raging dangerously outside.
What term refers to the loan that helps land owners purchase property?
What happened on page 232 that has to do with this term, and what does it mean for the Logans' futures?
Mortgage
The bank called up the note, meaning they have to pay in full. If they can't, they risk losing their land.
Name the two things in the novel that will go unsaid. Why will no one ever say those things out loud?
1. The Wallace's lynched the Berrys.
2. Papa set the fire.
These things will remain unsaid because the consequences for saying them out loud are too great to fathom. If anyone hears about these events, it's possible that they will face life-threatening retaliation.
Who did Taylor model the Logans after?
Did she accurately portray "A family united in love and self-respect?"
She modeled the Logans after her own family.
Answers vary; must have one reason to support response.
Who did TJ befriend? What effect did that have on the Logans?
TJ befriended RW and Melvin Simms. When he rejected the Logans, they became hesitant to help him when he really needed it.
Pg. 244
Why does Cassie weep "For Tj and the land?"
What has she realized?
Pg. 276
Cassie cries because the land and TJ cannot be saved. She will realizes that the things that inconvenienced her like mud and rain would pass, but the land would never be the same and TJ will never be a part of her life again.