Essay On Symbolism In Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry

Ryan Wersching

Ms. Harris

English 8, Period 3

16 March 2023

Symbols of Family

One Burmese proverb says, “In times of test, family is best.” In the realistic fiction book, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor, the Logan family goes through many struggles in an attempt to keep their land, even when others are trying to take it from them. As the Logan family goes through their everyday life, they constantly are targets of racism and have to rely on their family and community to help them stay get through it. Throughout the book, the symbols of vehicles, land, as well as trees play a huge role in showing the unerring depths of the Logan family’s bond. In the novel, the symbol of vehicles is very important because of the wealth and power

Because of the wealth the car demonstrates, the Logan children are astounded that they would get to ride in the car. By offering the Logan children a ride in his car, Uncle Hammer is showing the kindness that family shows to one another. In the tough times they are living in he is trying to make their lives a little more entertaining and enjoyable. Additionally, the symbol of Vehicles is used by the bus that brings the white kids to school daily. Every day when the Logan kids are walking to school, the bus forces them off the road and into the dirt causing them to get dirty. One day, Stacey finally puts his foot down and decides to seek revenge on the bus riders, “‘Cassie, you start digging over there on that side of the road right across from me. That’s right, don't get too near the edge. It’s gotta look like it’s been washed out. Christopher-John, you and Little Man start scooping out mud from the middle of the road.’” Stacey and the Logan kids decide to dig a ditch and fill it with water. When the bus goes

As Cassie is describing the land, she mentions the property line, a tall oak tree, “An ancient oak tree, visible even now, was the official dividing mark between Logan land and the beginning of a dense forest.” (6) The oak tree, which is the property line, is a symbol of the white community. When Cassie says that the oak tree is the property line, it symbolizes how past the oak tree is all white land. In fact, anything past the Logan's land is white land because they are the only ones in their community that own land. On top of that, the symbol of trees is used again when Papa explains to Cassie why they are still shopping in Vicksburg even with threats from the night riders. After Mr. Lainer and Mr. Avery tell Papa that they aren’t shopping in Vicksburg anymore, Papa explains to Cassie why they aren’t giving up, “‘You see that fig tree over yonder, Cassie? Them other trees all around… that oak and walnut, they’re a lot bigger and they take up more room and give so much shade they almost overshadow that little ole fig. But that fig tree’s got roots that run deep, and it belongs in that yard as much as that oak and walnut. It keeps on blooming, bearing good fruit year after year, knowing all the time it’ll never get as big as them other trees. Just keeps on growing and doing what it gotta do. It don’t give up. It give up, it’ll die.’” (206) Papa is explaining