Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Chapters 1-4

Well, I guess one thing that surprised me about the Logan children is that they took action against the whites by digging that hole. It’s a pretty stupid thing to do if you ask me. If racism was really that strong back then, and I was one of the Logans, I would not even think of doing something that daring

Hey there! This would be Corey! Duh =P
So anyway, a point in the novel that surprised me was when Little Man threw a tantrum because of the hand-me-down books. I was like OMG! No way, no way! He so did not just throw his book on the floor! I guess though I can kind of understand where’s he’s coming from through because he took it as a racial offense that there was actually a part of the front cover where you put your race and it side ‘nigra’ at the bottom, not to mention that the quality of the book was not very good, in fact, under the ‘quality’ column it was labeled ‘Very poor’! Wow wow! Even though his reaction was a bit… umm… not appropriate for school… I think that the teacher’s reaction was not very kind either (In the words of Mrs. Muhummad, “It was out of CONtrol!” I mean, come on, what teacher really do you know that would go all ‘whip whip!’ on you when you’re trying to stand up for what you believe in!? Ughh… Meanie!
Anyhoo yeah, I think I’m gonna be the first comment prob so yeah… Comment off of mine :D

An incident that surprised me from chapters 1-4 was when mama blocked out the page in the book. I thought that she would just agree with the other teacher that what little man did was wrong. I didn’t expect her to agree with the children and actually take an action against the teacher. Also, mama covered the page with the offensive writing on all the books for her class. I expected mama to beat little man and ground the Logan children. I think that what mama did was right, because racism is not acceptable. Also, little man as right to act the way he did. This is because he received a book that was someone else’s throwaway. He was upset about not getting new books.

So Connor, you would not have the audacity to do something of that nature? :]
I agree if you, kinda, I guess, egh, not really. If it was something that I really believed strongly in I would have been all 'dig dig dig dig!' and made that bus go DOWN! Also, probably, I would try to retaliate against the bus driver for being another BIG MEANIE! Just like that teacher! Wow, lots of big meanies in this novel... >_>

One thing that I felt was really shocking in the chapters was when Little Man threw the temper-tantrum over the book. I thought that kids in school during this time period were always well behaved because they would be severely punished if they acted out. I also thought it was ironic that Little Man was the one who threw the tantrum because he was excited to go to school and I think he was looking forward to it the most. When I read this part in the book I was so surprised that I gasped and my mom looked at me funny because she was in the room with me.

Wow Corey nice. Well I do agree with you, but I have an opinion of my own. Something that shocked me……well one thing is that I did not know that Stacy was a boy’s name way back when. I always thought of it as a feminine name. Also, I’ve never seen or heard of such a little person throwing a fit about getting dirty. I’ve only heard of them getting upset because it was time to get clean. But when Little Man threw his big fit about the school book, my jaw dropped as I imagined it. I just couldn’t ever think that ANYONE could be brave enough to do that, and Cassie was runner up as she also declined the book. And Corey-why do you think the teacher didn’t go all “whip whip” on her? =)

The Logan family’s circumstances surprised me, some of the whites treated them like dirt, and others were nice or pitied them. Even with the segregated schools, even the black children treated Cassie differently. The teacher of Cassie’s classroom was mean to her, just because she didn’t respond enthusiastically. The second time, Cassie and Little Man rejected their books because they were badly worn, and the teacher thought they were spoiled. The teacher made me feel that she thought she was better than the black children. If the teacher had been teaching a white child, she would have treated him/her differently. If a white child had thrown a tantrum, the teacher would have probably complained to the board of education, for the child’s benefit.

One incident that surprised me the most was when Stacy, who is shockingly a boy, went up to the Wallace store. Both his mother and father specifically said not to. Not only did he disobey them but he beat up one of his good friends, TJ Avery, and gave him a black eye. When I read this part of the book, I was speechless. Stacy acted like a good child, as if he never disobeyed his parents. So what I’m trying to say is that I was shocked to see Stacy disobey his parents AND beat up his friend!

One thing that shocked me was that the Logan children took revenge on the white children of Jefferson Davis on the bus. They dug a ditch and filled it up with water. They knew that the bus driver would run over the puddle to splash the kids walking. To make a plan like this was very smart. It is amazing that they would know exactly what the bus driver would do. It was very risky to do this and the Logan’s could’ve got into a lot of trouble.

Hehe.. I don't get it Kayla... What do you mean? Elaborate if you will :]

One of the incidents that surprised me during the novel is when Little Man threw his book on the floor that the teacher gave him. At first I didn’t understand why he did that because he didn’t seem like a trouble-maker. It surprised me because he kind of just spazzed out and it was pretty unexpected. Then when I found out why he had done it, I realized that I would have done the same exact thing. It made me mad that they got the used books just because of their race. And I didn’t like the fact that the teacher didn’t even realize where Cassie and Little Man were coming from when they said that they didn’t want the books. She didn’t even take the time to consider how they felt.

Ting-Ting speaking (0.o)
One incident that shocked me about the circumstances of the Logan family was how little man threw a tantrum in the middle of the class and got whipped for it. Somehow he was intelligent enough to read what it said in the book that he got. He understood that it was handed down to them (black people) by the white people after many uses and after it was really worn out. I felt really bad for little man and their whole class because that was wrong for the white to hand them down such bad books. The law was separate but equal but it was not equal in any way. Little man was greatly offended and even threw the book on the ground and stomped on it, of course he was whipped and the teacher didn’t even care that the book was so badly worn out. She even said that, that is the way it should be. I couldn’t believe that happened just in the past 100 years. In this world we live in today it seems nothing like what it was back then, now it is much more peaceful and not as much racism and segregation. I would’ve just yelled at the teacher and demand the school to get better books. You guys type too fast… I’m in like 70th place.

Connor, I would definitely do that. I would just dig the hole and hide and watch for the bus to come. I don’t think that digging the hole was stupid, but I think that the bus swerving towards the kids was stupid! Also when they got splashed, that was stupid too!!!!

An incident that surprised me about the circumstances of the Logan family was in chapter one. In chapter one when Little Man received his textbook from his teacher and threw a tantrum it surprised me. At first I didn’t know why he did it and I was sort of confused because he didn’t seem like that kind of person to throw a tantrum but when I found out the reason I realized that I would have done the same thing. It was wrong that he and Cassie received used textbooks. In the cover of the textbook it also described him as very poor. It got me very angry when they weren’t being treated like everybody else.

One incident that really surprised me was when the Logans made revenge on the bus. I had never thought they would be so mean as to get back at the white bus driver. I think they should’ve have sucked it up and went through life not caring bout it. No, this is not what I would have done, but it is defiantly something they should have done. Now they will have to live with a guilty mind. If they would not have done this, they would be better off with life. I was surprised and shock, but I found a connection with it. The way they took the revenge out reminded me of myself, and some of the pranks I pulled. I pitied not the whites, but the Logans, because now they must live with the guilt of this. I know how the guilt feels, and though it does not bother me anymore, it is defiantly something nobody wants to experience. But in all, I was content with the action. I know for a fact that if I was them, I would have done the same thing, and then even some more after that. Revenge always feels good, even though it has major repercussions…and don’t try to follow that advice, it applies to me and me only.

Connor- I see your point. I definatly never would've gone that far.

Haha Derek yeah, 70th place.. I would be in 1st huh? :]

You are absolutely correct Corey. It was right for Little Man to be offended, but as for your offence to his tantrum I have to disagree with you. The dude should have not taken it so harshly- should have faced his punishment like a man. Plus, behavior was not easily tolerated back then, so a whipping was appropriate. I mean, if you threw your textbook on the ground and stomped on it just because someone wrote: COREY IS A DUMMY- don’t you think the teacher would get mad at you? Yeeeeaahh

An incident that surprised me about the circumstances of the Logan family was when Little Man threw and stepped on the book. This surprised me because Little Man never acted out in school or anywhere. I would do the same thing because I would feel racially discriminated that the book was left for a black person. Everyone should get the same book and in the same condition.

About what i asked you, Corey? I mean Little Man got whipped, but when Cassie stood up, she didn't. why do you think so?

So, Shenandoah, so what your trying to say is if a white child was to throw a tantrum, the teacher would take more action?????

I agree with you Corey. You shouldn't get in trouble for standing up for what you believe in. I think that the teacher should get into trouble, instead of Little Man.I think the teacher might be prejudice.

An incident that happened was when the logan children dug a hole in the ground and filled with water in order to crash the bus. I feel the Logan children now retaliated. They instead of being innocent they acted quite churlish. Especially Cassie, I think she had enough with all the discrimination and getting splashed by the bus all the time. This shocked me, not much the other children doing but cassie. You think cassie is the innocent one before this incident but after you have a different feeling about her.

WHat are you saying, Connor? Do you have negative feelings about Corey?!?!?!

OMB!! so many blogs... Anyway Cassie stood up for Little Man because she believed that he was right.

I was also surprised at Little Man for throwing a tantrum, Back then, I thought kids were really well behaved and had almost perfectly polished manners. Like Ciara said, it thought Little Man would have had better manners

HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In the chapters 1-4 the action that surprised me the most was how Little man started the tantrum. I was shocked when he did that stupid thing how he through the book on the floor and refused to take it. When he let go of the book to through it on the floor I said in my mind “No!!!!! Please make the book hover off the ground so he won’t get in trouble.” But the book did not hover. If I was little man I would have been happy with the dirty, gross, ripped up book; then sustain it to make it better for the next kid who will use it. But nooooooo he had to start that tantrum like a dumb out of lesson kid. Now the teacher thought (So did I) that he can not read. But I wonder if he really cant…………

U guys type fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little Man was offended by what it said in the book. Also about the bus.

philip, can you please elaborate???

An incident that shocked me about the circumstances of the Logan family was when the bus for the kids at the Jefferson Davis School splashed water on the Logan’s when they were walking to school. This shocked me because the bus driver actually allowed the kids to shout names at the Logan’s and he actually sped up to splash water on them. It also shocked me that the kids took action for themselves by digging the giant hole to get revenge o the white students instead of telling their teacher or their mom about it. I guess that they didn’t think their mom would do anything about it and there teacher wouldn’t either. What would you have done if you were in the position of the Logan’s? Would you take part in revenge on the Jefferson Davis bus or would you try to tell your mom or teacher?

On chapter three, I was very surprised and disappointed. The reason why I say this is because I didn’t expect them to dig a ditch in order for the bus to crash. They never seemed to think about the consequences after they actually dug the ditch. What if the bus driver and the children had gotten terribly injured? I would think that they wouldn’t do it because in the end, many things would go wrong. Maybe the town would find out about this and the Logans would soon be in danger because of this. I just think it wouldn't be right to put revenge on the bus driver and the children because they might end up in great danger towards the end.

derek i agree with you you are in 79th place

Derek what's OMB

No Kayla! Anyone would get in trouble for that! In fact, I think the white students are beaten by their teachers for misbehavior as well.

I do see all of your points with how they deserved it and all, but would you have had the guts? I wouldn't. <=)

In Roll of Thunder Hear My cry, we read chapters 1-4. This is a very…emotional book that can make the reader feel upset. What upset me the most was the kids got new books at school. The inside of the books said everyone who had previously owned them and the condition. All the kids were white and the book was in good condition. By the time this school got them they were ruined and broken. This made me and the characters so mad that they got the white schools “garbage.” It wasn’t at all nice or appropriate. I got so mad I stopped reading the book for a while. I thought it was very smart, nice and brave of the Logan’s mom, a teacher from the school, to white out the names and information on the books. I can’t believe that they are so unfair to these poor African Americans because they are people just like us. They can’t even get good books! I’m glad that things have changed today.

One thing that I found during chapter one was bus driver’s actions and trying to run the Logan children over on there way to school. This action made me really angry, because it’s not right to treat other people that way because of their skin color. If I were in there shoes I would have tried to not let it bother me but in the end it would have gotten to me. I would have sought revenge on the bus driver (even though they did).

One incident that the Logan family did that shocked me was the bus ditch incident. In chapter one, we find out that the bus speeds by the Logan family in the dirt road and makes them dirty. They get mad at them and decide to get revenge. The revenge includes digging a ditch for the bus to fall in. They dug a ditch and made it look like a puddle, meaning when the bus ran over, they would get stuck and they would be late at school. I was so surprised and shocked that the Logan kids would do that. I also thought this was funny because I would never think of the Logan family kids would be getting back with revenge in such a daring situation. I think that their revenge didn’t just have to do with the bus incident. I think it also had to do with them being called names. I think discrimination had a big part in this scene. The Logan kids wanted to get back at the other kids for being me just because they were black and being discriminated against.

Ok I definatly agree with Troy when he said that he would have dug the hole. Those kids and bus driver deserved what they got and I'm happy that the Logans did what they did.

Heyy! What are you trying to say Connor?... >_> That sounded not too nice!
IDK, I guess if I stomped on my textbook it would be quite churlish of me. But, Little Man's antics didn't seem like he really should did it in an offensive manner, but he just did it out of rage and because he was heated. It all depends on the teacher I guess if they would yell at me... not to name names but I think two teachers would take it less offensively than a certain other two teachers who will rename nameless... Cough cough...

I guess I am saying that. A white teacher, back then, would probably take more action to change the situation for a white child. Maybe no go as fas a s the board of education, but maybe cover them like their mother did for the 7th graders.

The incident when Mr. Morrison saves the Logan kids at the store surprised me. I didn’t suspect that he would know where they were or even try to help them. At first, I thought he would try to stay out of their lives and not create a distraction, but after he came and took the children home, I thought maybe he was there to help them. Maybe Papa brought him back to protect the Logan family. After all, he is really tall and muscular, which might be intimidating. Mr. Morrison also said he wasn’t going to tell their mom, so maybe he was trying to get on the Logan children’s good side and make them feel like they could trust him. I think Papa brought Mr. Morrison home to protect his family. When he arrived home and the mom asked if he got her letter, he said yes. It wasn’t until Mr. Morrison was outside with a gun at night that I realized the letter the mom sent was telling Papa about the night riders and asking for help. The help he sent was Mr. Morrison. He probably only came home to make sure Mr. Morrison got there and had to leave so soon because he still had to work. Mr. Morrison saving the Logan children at the store and watching the house at night with a gun was proof Papa only brought him home to protect them.

This is fun

The thing that really surprised me about the circumstances of the Logan family was the fact that the bus from Jefferson Davis School constantly tried to go very fast just so they could make the Logan children run in panic and so they could get really dirty. Today, even though the maturity level of most children is still quite low, you would expect a bus driver to be a little more understanding. Instead, during the 1930’s, you have a completely cruel bus driver with a bus full of ignorant children trying to scare off innocent children who want to get an education. That’s TOTALLY okay (sarcasm). Every time Little Man got really angry because he got dirty from the bus, I just felt so mad and I often just gave myself five minutes to calm down. Hopefully, as the story goes on, that bus will just go away.

Anissa, do you think the bus driver or the kids will find out that the Logan children tipped the bus??? Do you think Mamma will whip them if she finds out or let it slide like the text books????

I agree with you Andrew this is the most fun since Chuckie Cheeses

What do we do after we post one and comment one?

Cohen, Yeah you would have sought revenge on the bus driver. I don't think they should have either, but they are ok with the guilt and I think taking a stand against the driver and white bus was worth it.

Dan- I would actually just take a different way to school. Like… maybe walking through the woods?... yeah that would be a smart choice but no, the logan children have to walk in the middle of the road.

W00t two more people agree with me! :D
Kayla- Maybe the teacher didn't whip her because she realized what she did to Little Man was wrong and she shouldn't punish her the same way.
Andrew- That's a good point! I never thought of that. Which just keeps going on my point that the teacher is a BIG MEANIE!

Mama would be mad i guess... but she would whip them. Unlike the book incident

Some of you guys said that you were surprised at the bus driver, but its really not that surprising to me, giving that people back then thought black people were like dirt, more than people.

Chelsea, I agree with you 100%. I didn't understand it either because he doesn't seem like the kid to throw a tantrum. As soon as I saw why I completely undertsood how he felt.

Dan- I would take revenge on the bus driver for splashing on the Logans

I'm not Anissa but Amanda:
I hope that nobody finds out about the childrens accomplishment but if mama found out there would definatly be some whipping involved.

Ya see what I mean!?! The ditch was completely unacceptable. This is probably why somebody (prediction!) is going to be harmed by the bus driver gang later in the story!

Connor!!!! Congrats on the first comment on our blog. OMG!!!! Okay. I agree with you but I didn’t elaborate on that dumb-childish act because I was more shocked of how Little Man through the tantrum. If I was the Logan’s I MIGHT of done the same if someone was being mean/raciest to me. I feel bad for the Logan’s. The bus driver should stop being for raciest.

Kayla, do you think that the children would act like this if there father was home?????

Rajat- I agree with you, whites treated blacks like dirt. Whites accused many blacks for many crimes they were not committing. As far as the burnings go, thats just down right wrong, Even the tar and feathering were cruel. Taking someone's life is terrible, especially if its for their skin color. Disgusted is a nice word for the thoughts the whites thought about the blacks, which infuriates me.

I was shocked by the way the bus driver tried to run the Logan and Avery children over and get them dirty, and that the kids in the bus were all smiling when it was happened and how they felt a little disappointed after seeing they missed the children, because the Logan and Avery children were black. It really shows you just how much black Southerners were discriminated and hated for nothing other than their skin color. Also, I was shocked by the description of Mr. Berry. It reminded me of the chimp-lady. Finally, the last thing that shocked me was that TJ didn’t tell Mama he made the cheatsheet. I know he blamed going to the Wallace General Store on his brother, but Stacey is supposedly his friend, and he can't beat the living stuff out of Stacey; it's more the other way around. I would think TJ would have to have some kind of conscience, unless it has been rendered so obsolete as to the conscience not even considering it worth the attempt to do the right thing.

I think that what the Logan children did was acceptable revenge for what those white children did to them. Color should not tell you how to treat someone/something. Everyone is equal. Even today, although not as bad, this racism is still going on. I personally dislike it and it made me very mad when poor Little Man was trying so hard not to get dirty and then those kids come along and splatter mud on him and the rest of the Logan children.

Conner- I agree with you. I don’t think that I would ever be able to do like something that. If anything I would have to just leave earlier for school to avoid getting splashed by the bus. Or I would just walk through the woods the whole way to school. If black’s are being treated so harshly for all the wrong reasons I wouldn’t dare doing something that drastic to a white kid’s school bus. I couldn’t imagine what would happen to me if someone found out.

Chelsea-
I definitely agree with you and your feelings towards this part in the book. I felt angry too when Little Man received his textbook and it was in bad condition. They weren't as nice as the white kids. Once again they were being discriminated against because of their race. I also felt bad for Little Man. I think he couldn't hold back his feeling towards the condition of the book and then threw a tantrum. It really isn't his fault. If I was Little Man, I would probably do the same thing!

I have noticed many repeat comments in terms of ideas (Mrs. Sullivan said it would happen, with everyone posting at once and whatnot), so I think I'll respond to the hot topics.
Corey-everyone else:the children back then were well-behaved (unlike some people I know), but I think everyone loses their temper now and then, you know, we need to blow off some steam. If you were given a book saying the equivalent of what saying "negra" meant back then, you likely would have been upset too. Of course, we ARE talking about a six-year-old here: to expect him to be a perfect little angel 100% of the time is a bit much, don't you think? Also, I haven't seen many people under 10 with as much composure as these kids. Even when Stacey knew he was about to beat the living...stuffing out of TJ, he kept himself in check until the fight began (he let go after that).
Connor:Nowadays, it seems so crazy to think children would dig a ditch to keep people from being on time to school. But back then, it was even more crazy because all of the children WANTED to go to school (for the most part), as long as it was a good school. Nowadays, with all the gangs and such, and seeing as many people don't want to go to school to begin with anyway, it's not such an impossibility that someone would dig a ditch to get out of school (of course, they would make themselves late to school, but that's a different issue). The only unheard-of part right now is digging the ditch to get revenge; people would do this to help themselves out, not to get even with people.

I agree with Jimmy’s feelings (about Corey’s comment). It is not right for people to expect so much from small kids like Little Man. The teachers should know that young children have a tendency to get angry over little things. Everyone gets upset at something, but some people can control their anger better than others can. But Little Man had a right to lose his temper in my opinion. If I realized I was getting the short end of the stick because of my race, I would have been very upset. I wouldn’t have done what Little Man had done, but I would try to get some results. Maybe if I were a little younger I could have done something inappropriate like what Little Man had done. I do not think that Little Man deserved a beating or any punishment at all. The teacher did not do a good job of handling the situation. She should have tried to see why Little Man threw a tantrum. Cassie was trying to show her why Little Man did what he did, but the teacher wouldn’t listen. This is not the type of teacher that I would like to have. She seems to be ignorant. She should have done what Mama did and pasted a blank sheet on the page in the book that Little Man was upset about. I think that the teacher saw that page because she was giving the book out to everyone, yet she didn’t say anything about it. A teacher needs to care about her students. She should know that what was written in that book was degrading to African Americans. At an all African American school, I think that this would be a problem.

I agree with Adriana when she said that the students on the bus to the white school were very bad. They were not being very nice. I was very pleased when the white students had to walk home because the bus got stuck in the hole that the Logan children dug. Even though it wasn’t mine, the revenge felt good.

Amanda- I totally agree. stacey acted like a good little child his whole life (or as long as we have read about him). I was not as suprised that he beat up TJ then that he went to Wallace's. TJ is the most annoying character that I have ever read about.

I was surprised that there were so many hardships and injustices that black people had to endure. They were treated like dirt. They were the dregs of society. I was so surprised that the Logan children had to walk to school and the whole school didn’t even have a school bus. It also made me feel sick that the bus for the white school would come to nearly run them over and get them dirty for the pleasure of the bus driver and the children in the bus. They were not solicitous at all. They did not care about how the Logan children felt. Another thing that happened in the first four chapters of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was that three members of the Berry family were burned, supposedly by the Wallaces, who were white. I was so appalled that such a heinous act could have taken place. I didn’t know that there were so many horrible things that happened back then. I knew that bad things happened, but I didn’t know it was that severe. I was really saddened when I read about the demise of one of the Berry family members. The members of the Berry family were burned because one of the members was accused of flirting with a white girl named Sallie Ann. This may not have been the case and even if it had occurred the action was too harsh. I was especially surprised when I heard that nobody was going to do anything about it. One of the Berrys even died. How could someone take another person’s life? I was also amazed when one black man was tarred and feathered. I was stunned that Jeremy, who was white, was ridiculed for talking to the Logans, who were his friends, just because they were black. I was disgusted that white people thought of black people as inferior to them. There are many bad things that went on in this book, and what was really scary was that things like these really used to happen back then.

I agree with Rajat Chandra because racism really hurt the African Americans. What did they do to make white people so angry? It just never seemed to make sense because different colored skin doesn't define you all that much as a person.

I agree with Rajat: It's really hard to believe that white people couldn't even be around black people for a while. Then again, most likely the main reason why white people treated black people this way was because of the difference between the two races; or at least the early generations anyway. I mean, during the early 1800's, white people made African American people slaves because of their skin color. The people during this generation probably told their children, who told their children, and so on, until finally the early 1900's slid in. And what was the reason for not liking African Americans then? Because they were African Americans! Did you observe the drop in quality from an idiotic reason to an even more idiotic reason? Exactly: as they passed on the reason for not liking African Americans by word of mouth, they forgot the reason why they did not like them. Put it this way, if you came up to a person who didn't like you and asked, "Why don't you like me?", wouldn't the answer "I don't know. I just don't!" sound pretty pathetic to you? If one of the Logans asked that to a discriminative white person, they would probably get an answer along those lines. The burning of the Berry house, the bus incidents, and the book cover tantrum all coveyed one of the important points: the white people in the story didn't act on their reasons, but instead abruptly acted on what they learned.