Suppose you're assigned a novel to read--a work of historical fiction. The first chapter describes a man who has to work 14 hours a day just to feed his family, and he struggles--even then--to afford clothes for his children. In the next chapter, you learn that this man, who is African American, sleeps with a rifle under his mattress because he expects a group of local men to show up at any time, waving torches and weapons, willing to hurt him or his family members. You may be confused--especially if you missed a key detail about the story's setting: Its events occur in the deep South, during the Great Depression.
You and your classmates will soon begin reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, which was published in 1976 and is considered a classic of young adult literature. The novel is set in Mississippi during the early 1930s and describes nearly a year in the life of Cassie Logan and her family as they struggle through the worst part of the Great Depression. Because the Logans are African American, they face other hardships as well. The video below will introduce you to some of the novel's conflicts.
On a warm and dusty morning in Mississippi, nine-year-old Cassie and her three brothers start their hour-long walk to school. Almost immediately, dust coats their shoes and legs, but it beats the mud they have to walk through during the rainy season. It's 1933, four years into the Great Depression, and only the white kids in this part of the country have a bus to ride to school.
Cassie is one of the main characters in Mildred Taylor's historical novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. She lives on land that her family owns, but most African Americans in her part of the world own no land--and very little else. Cassie's grandmother, Big Ma, is always telling her how lucky they are, but Cassie is struggling to see it. While her family owns their land, they must remain vigilant to protect it from wealthy white farmers in the area who want to take it from them, one way or another. In fact, most of the white people in the area--adults and children alike--seem determined to teach black kids like Cassie to accept their place in American society--at the bottom, with very few rights.
Near the beginning of the story, Cassie hears adults talk in hushed voices about some mysterious "burnings" that have taken place in the area. Homes and fields were set on fire, and the owners of the properties were badly injured as well. Cassie begins to understand the seriousness of the burnings when Papa sends a friend named Mr. Morrison, who is currently out of work, to live with them while Papa works out of town. Mr. Morrison sleeps with a gun nearby and walks the perimeter of their property when they hear unexpected noises.
Will Cassie and her family be able to hold onto their land? How will Cassie deal with the challenges of growing up? And what will happen when TJ, a friend of Cassie's brother, starts hanging around with two white boys? Mississippi in 1933 is a difficult place and time for characters like Cassie and her family; it's going to take everything they know about the world to keep them safe.
Question
Why would background information about the setting of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry help you better understand the novel?
