64 pages 2 hours read

Mildred D. Taylor

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1976

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Symbols & Motifs

Fire

The novel begins and ends with the use of fire. In the first chapter of the novel, T.J. tells the Logan children that “[s]ome white men took a match to” three men in the Berry family because one of the Berrys allegedly disrespected a shopkeeper (10). Fire functions as a powerful tool for white men—in this case, the Wallace brothers—to oppress their Black neighbors. As T.J.’s father tells it, “Anytime they thinks we steppin’ outa our place, they feels like they gotta stop us” (62). The fire maims its victims but also frightens those who learn about the burning. When the Logan children see Mr. Berry’s “still form” with burned skin and “wizened black” lips, they feel stunned.

At the end of the novel, David Logan sets fire to his own cotton crop to prevent vigilante violence against T.J. He claims the Wallace brothers’ favored tool for his own use, denying them the exclusive use of its power. David’s use of fire is clever and empowering, but not without negative consequences. To use the white men’s weapon against them, David sacrifices part of the cotton crop upon which his family relies for income. 

Related Titles

By Mildred D. Taylor

Study Guide

logo

Let The Circle Be Unbroken

Mildred D. Taylor

Let The Circle Be Unbroken

Mildred D. Taylor

Study Guide

logo

The Gold Cadillac

Mildred D. Taylor

The Gold Cadillac

Mildred D. Taylor

Plot Summary

logo

The Land

Mildred D. Taylor

The Land

Mildred D. Taylor

Plot Summary

logo

The Road to Memphis

Mildred D. Taylor

The Road to Memphis

Mildred D. Taylor