Skip to main content

What does Cassie learn about her family from Big Ma in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor?

Cassie learns from Big Ma how Mr. Paul Edward, her grandfather and former slave, acquired the 400 acres of land in Spokane County, Mississippi, that once belonged to the Grangers.


One day the children see Mr. Harlan Granger's expensive car pulling away from their dusty driveway. "Big Ma, what was Mr. Granger doing here?" Stacey asks her. Big Ma replies that he has just been "worrying" her about this land again. She explains that during Reconstruction...

Cassie learns from Big Ma how Mr. Paul Edward, her grandfather and former slave, acquired the 400 acres of land in Spokane County, Mississippi, that once belonged to the Grangers.


One day the children see Mr. Harlan Granger's expensive car pulling away from their dusty driveway. "Big Ma, what was Mr. Granger doing here?" Stacey asks her. Big Ma replies that he has just been "worrying" her about this land again. She explains that during Reconstruction the Grangers had to sell some of their land to Yankees in order to pay the taxes on the rest. The man who bought the land, Mr. Hollenbeck, sold him 200 acres. Later on, Mr. Hollenbeck offered to sell another 200 acres back to the Grangers at a lesser price than his purchase. But, "old Filmore Granger," who was "tight with a penny" refused to buy it.


Later, a Mr. Charles Jamison from Vicksburg purchased it. However, he was not good at farming, so after he graduated from law school in the North, he started practicing law there. After he died, his son Wade sold the 200 acres to Paul Edward. In this way, a total of 400 acres was acquired by Cassie's grandfather and Big Ma. Together they worked the land, and their sons did, also, when they were older. But, Mr. Granger was "always talkin' bout buyin' it." Grunting angrily, Big Ma tells Cassie, "He don't know nothin' 'bout me or this land, he think I'm gonna sell!"


Owning the land is something that gives the Logans advantages over their neighbors who have to be sharecroppers and make only a percentage of the profits on the land. Also, the owners take advantage of these farmers, charging high prices in their stores and giving them lower percentages than they should.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more