“Got me better friends than ya'll! They give me things, and treat me like a man and.... and they white too.” This is a quote by T.J Avery in Mildred Taylor’s novel, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. T.J is foolish, sneaky, and dishonest. In the end, this leads to his near death experience. In this book, T.J is seen as dishonest for many reasons. He cheats on homework and tests, blames things on his brother, and steals from the Barnett store. He was held back into the seventh grade again, and now he has Stacey Logan’s mom for a teacher. With Stacey being his “best friend,” T.J tries to get all the answers to the tests. One day as they were walking to school, he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, and showed it to Stacey. The paper had all …show more content…
For example, when he got the answers for the test. He cleverly figured it out. By going to Stacey’s house to “hang out” he found the answers and wrote them down. He also knew that Stacey would rip them if he found them. So he made a second sheet. He figures out a sneaky plan, that usually tricks somebody, and it works. T.J also talked Stacey out of his new coat. Stacey got a new coat from Uncle Hammer. It was a little big, but it was way nicer than the one that he had before. T.J really wanted the coat, so he tricked Stacey into giving it to him. He did this by saying that other kids were making fun of him, saying that he looked like a preacher. Stacey felt embarrassed, and gave the coat to T.J when he told him that he would give it back, after he grew into it. This shows that Stacey was foolish to listen to T.J, but it also shows how sneaky T.J can really be. T.J is sneaky in many ways in this book. Another example was when he was talking about how he gets out of his cores and other work that needs to be done at his house. He told Stacey that whenever there is work that has to be done, and someone has to go somewhere to get it done, he volunteers himself to do it. Then when he goes, he spends the whole day being gone, so that when he gets back, all the rest of the work is done. “See, fellows, there’s a system to getting out of work. Jus’ don’t be ‘round when it’s got to be done. Only thing is, you can’t let your folks know that’s what you’re doin’.” This is really sneaky of T.J, but it is also a smart but dishonest
His attitude changed based on the environments he was in. The main setting in the book was unknown city. The unknown city was the birth place of TJ and it was where he grew. In his teenage years, he made bad decision, did everything the gangs want him to do. When he was 13 year old he was sent to the foster home care. There he had people who cared about him. After living in a loving home for two years, his mother suddenly wanted him back. When he went back the only way for him to survive his environment consequently is to join the gang. There wasn't much of a problem with his mother anymore. He has to fight to live.
Having an older sibling is rough already, but having a brother that you have to worry about him breaking in and stealing valuables of your own, that's tough and the main character Gordie Jessup has to deal with the betrayal of his older brother, Chase Jessup everyday throughout Katherine Holubitskys’s novel “Tweaked”. Gordie’s efforts trying to fix his family are overwhelmed by Chase’s drug addiction and money debts he has with his dealers. There are many themes throughout the book.
Like his locker, on page 95. One day his homeroom teacher announced that the classes lockers were going to be reviewed for neatness. “Since I kept my locker neat at all times, there was nothing for me to tidy up.” The homeroom teacher put names on the blackboard for all the lockers who failed to pass muster. “Shockingly, my name was among them.” This shows that Jerry didn’t even bother to check to make sure his locker was neat because he knew how neat he was already that he didn’t have to just take a quick look to see if it was still neat. Another time Jerry was attempting to be neat is when he said on page 95, “Give me a direction, I followed it. Put a rule in front of me, I obeyed it.” This shows he was neat because he wanted to be perfect, never get in trouble, do what he was supposed to. He was being different in a good
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a novel based in the Southern States of America in the 1930’s and deals with the theme of Racism amongst other themes. Racism is being prejudice or discriminating against someone of a different race based on such a belief. Following on from the Civil War, America experienced ‘The Great Depression’ and it affected everyone, especially blacks. Mildred Taylor reveals examples of racism and racist behaviour throughout the novel based on her own experiences. In this essay, I will discuss what blacks were subjected to and how racism is presented in this novel.
J.T. – is a male African – American sixteen-year-old who always gets in trouble. He is a good-looking guy and is great at playing basketball. J.T. tries his best to take care of his mother without causing more trouble for others. He has had a bad history; however, he seems to have learned from his mistakes and is now working for a better future. In the story, he felt very sad for having to fight Peaches and promises to repay her for her help with his mother.
Wesley Cobble had always been a bully, that is, until he became friends with Scott. Wesley had been known as a bully throughout high school. But that all changed when one morning, Wesley picked up Scott (the main character) and brought him to school, it was as if Wesley had a change in heart and wanted to be friends with Scott. Wesley wasn’t usually the type to make friends, but for some reason, he became friends with Scott, which changed him and benefited him. Wesley changed the most in Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie because he went from being a bully to Scott to being his friend, and he learned to stop stealing.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D Taylor shows the ways that black people dealt with injustice and racism in the South. In this novel, it is very clear how people feel about racism. You can also see the ways in which they react and deal with it. It displays how degradation, humiliation and hatred fill the gap between the white and black races.
In the 1930s people faced discrimination because of the color of their skin. Although, some people showed courage and stood up for what they thought was right. Mildred Taylor’s book Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry takes place in the heart of the south and the height of discrimination. Mama is the type of person that takes action instead of holding back. Mama shows courage by pasting the books, not changing her lesson, and boycotting the Wallaces.
Stacey Chases T.J. to the Wallace store where he was not supposed to go and got into a fight. T.J. was cheating on a test and handed the cheat notes to Stacey when he saw Mama coming and got Stacey in trouble for making it seem like he was cheating. In the book it says, “Well, whether she knowed it or not, she sho’ ‘nough whipped him…. Course, now, she give him a chance to get out of it when he said he wasn’t cheatin’ and she asked him how he got them cheat notes. But Stacey wouldn’to tell on ole T.J., and you know good and well
Tom’s major concern lies with the way Gatsby obtained his money. With this concern comes Tom’s criticism of Gatsby as a “Bootlegger,” because of his information on Gatsby (76). Tom immediately separates Gatsby from himself, by placing Gatsby into the category of new money. With this sly criticism Tom insults Gatsby’s achievement and connects him to an infamous world of crime, ultimately trying to prove that Gatsby isn’t the man everyone believes him to be. He later says “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife….” (77). In his rage, Tom’s attitude toward Gatsby’s class and morals is displayed through his supercilious critique of Gatsby’s apparel, Tom contest Gatsby’s learning at Oxford by saying “An Oxford man! ... Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.” (65) Within this criticism Tom’s incredulous attitude, brings out his superior social status through his narrow minded view of proper
He says, “Stacey what if they find out we done it” (Page 54). The final trait is that he is caring. The evidence is that on the first day of school. When he found out that T.J got Claude in trouble on purpose he comes and puts his arm around him and takes him to school away from
Mr. Granger told the men to give T.J. to Mr. Jamison and run down to put out the fire that could burn all of the cotton. Mr. Granger’s greediness for the land saved T.J.’s life, because though the land was the Logan’s land, he still wanted the land to regain it as Granger
“ she asked him how he got them cheat notes. But Stacey wouldn’t tell on ole T.J., and you know good and well old T.J. wasn't ‘bout to say them notes was his”(81). It is shown how T.J. had gotten cheat notes and had given them to Stacey, but Stacey didn't want to be a bad friend so he didn't say it was T.J. Also, T.J. has demonstrated many times that he will manipulate people to get what he wants. For this reason, when Stacey had gotten a brand new jacket from Uncle Hammer, T.J. had taken an interest in it, and had told Stacey that he
In the novel, she shows Stacey is trustworthy when . Additionally, after Stacey realizes T.J. is legitimately hurt and needs to be taken home, he explains, “He’s hurt real bad Cassie, I gotta get him home” (249). Stacey insisting he needs to take T.J. home shows he is trustworthy, because when his friend was in a terrible situation, he did not hesitate to assist him, which shows he is a dependable aid. However, the author also shows how T.J. is not trustworthy. In the text, after the Logan children discover T.J. blamed his younger brother Claude for the reason he had to go to the Wallace store, and ask why he did not just explain the real reason he was there, he exclaims, “I couldn’t let her think I was goin’ up there...She’ve killed me!” (12). T.J.’s exclamation proves he is not dependable, because it shows that he would blame someone else for his actions rather than take the impact himself, so he would not be likely to help save a friend in a sticky situation. Also, when the other students in the class are informing the children on how Stacey was caught cheating, they say, “T.J. wasn’t about to say those notes were his” (81). T.J.’s response to Stacey being caught “cheating” shows he is not trustworthy, because he did not own up to his actions to save Stacey from humiliation. As well as describing the boy's differences through how trustworthy they are, Taylor also contrasts the boys by showing how honest they
In the novel ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’, several characters have persevered through injustice, hardship, and extreme racism. One of these characters is Mrs. Logan (Mama), who showed a lot of courage in school, by supposedly ruining the ‘new’ books that had been discarded to them from the white kids at the white school, so far that she got fired for it, but everyone knows that it was really for a different reason; shopping in Vicksburg, which also showed an incredible amount of courage, and this courage in Vicksburg was also demonstrated by the other Logan adults and Mr. Jamison. The Logans showed courage just in going there in general, and Mr. Jamison showed it by backing their credits for it. Both of these were dangerous via the Wallaces