The Most Important Messages and Themes in the Novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry

The Most Important Messages and Themes in the Novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry

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'Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry' by Mildred D. Taylor is a powerful novel

about the Loganfamily and the problems and injustices that they have

to face. The book is set in Mississippi in the 1930s. This is

important because at the time, white people were very cruel and racist

towards blacks, and sometimes they treated them as slaves. The novel

revolves mainly around the black Logan family, and book is told from

the point of view of a black child - Cassie Logan. There are many

themes and messages portrayed in the book.

The most important theme in the novel is the racial prejudice and

segregation between the black and white people. This is prevalent

throughout and only at the end is there some cooperation.

The racism towards blacks even takes place inside the schools. For

example, black students are forced to walk to school regardless of the

weather; but white students are privileged and have the pleasure of a

school bus. Also, the whites' school bus deliberately tries to shroud

the black children with dust when it drives by - " ' …the bus had sped

past, enveloping him in a scarlet haze while laughing white faces

pressed against the bus windows' " - p. 14 lines 8-9. This always

leaves Cassie and her brothers fuming but what could they do?

Another example of racism in schools is the table on p.23 that is

printed on the inside cover of a black child's 'new' book. The last

row of the table says "12...

... middle of paper ...

...al no matter what their colour of their skin.' This

message is the answer to all the racism that is unfortunately

prevalent in every single chapter of the book.

There is also an important emphasis on family in the novel. A message

could be ' Love and stick by your family and you will gain. ' I think

this because a person like Papa who is a family man, dealt with his

difficult predicaments, drew strength from his family and came out

stronger. For example, when he got shot.

However a person like T.J. who rejected and didn't care much about his

family had no luck and got punished.

Another minor message is ' Don't take your home for granted because

there are people in this world who don't have one but would do

anything to get one.' I think this because of the Logan family and

their obsession with having the land.