Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry :: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Essays

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry In Mildred Taylor's enthralling novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, the Logan family serves as an excellent model of family values and self worth. In the face of racial and economic adversities, Mama and Papa Logan provide their children with the important lessons they need to be successful in life. First, the Logan children; Stacey, Cassie, Little Man, and Christopher-John, learn to be persistent and determined. Next, the children acquire the knowledge of caring for each other. Last, they become able to stand up for what they believe in. An example when the Logans teach their children strong work ethnic occurs when Papa explains the importance of owning their land. Cassie considers her father's words as she thinks: For it he would work a long, hot summer pounding steel; Mama would teach and run the farm; Big Ma, in her sixties, would work like a woman of twenty in the fields and keep the house; and the boys and I would wear threadbare clothing washed to dishwasher color; but always, the taxes and mortgage would be paid.(4) Papa's explanation to the family about working hard makes Cassie think about the sacrifices the family will have to make to keep the land. These sacrifices might be hard to make but it will be necessary to keep the land and pay taxes. Another quality is that the Logans care for each other when Stacey stands up for Little Man when Miss Crocker hands out old, dirty, and torn books. Cassie exclaims, "Yes'm, he been reading since he was four. He can't read all them big words, but he can read the columns. See what's in the last row. Please look, Miz Crocker." (18) Cassie's courage to stand up for her little brother is phenomenal. She does so even though she knows she might get whipped. Her bravery shows that she supports the fact that blacks are treated inferior to whites. Miss Crocker at first refuses to look and then she say, "well that's what you are." Miss Crocker is in a state of denial in trying to convince herself that there is no problem with the school. Last, the Loga ns instruct their kids to stand up for what they believe in.