Test Preparation
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred Taylor
Your Complete Test Preparation Guide (For Grades 7-12)
Multiple Choice Questions, Short Essay & Essay Questions, Mid-Book & Final Test
Multiple Choice Questions
The Multiple Choice Questions in this Test Preparation Guide will test a student's understanding of Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry. The questions are broken out into sections, so they focus on specific chapters
within Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This allows you to test and review the book as you proceed through
the unit.
Short Essay Questions
The Short Essay Questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students
to demonstrate a deeper understanding of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by describing what they have
read, rather than just recalling it. The short essay questions evaluate not only whether students have read
the material, but also how well they understand and can apply it. They require more thought than a
multiple choice question, but are shorter than the essay questions.
Essay Questions
Students should have a full understanding of the unit material in order to answer these questions. They
often include multiple parts of the work and ask for a thorough analysis of the overall text. These essays
are designed to challenge a student's understanding of the broad points in a work, interactions among the
characters, and main points and themes of the text.
Mid-Book Test (Easy, Medium and Hard)
Final Test (Easy, Medium and Hard)
Answer Keys
©2014 BookRags, Inc.
Essay Topic 6
Throughout the novel, the author uses analogies to help explain and describe what is
happening. How do analogies help readers visualize what is happening? Why do the
analogies make it easier for readers to “see” what is going on? How do the comparisons
in the analogies used assist readers?
Essay Topic 7
Stacey has a well-developed code of honor, but T.J. does not. What are some things
that Stacey does because of his honor code? Does being honorable keep Stacey out of
trouble? Who is more honorable Stacey or T.J.? Does being honorable benefit Stacey in
the end? How does T.J.s lack of honor hurt him in the end?
Essay Topic 8
Throughout the novel, blacks have to endure vigilante justice. Why do blacks in the
novel live in such fear? Why can’t they defend themselves? What are some instances
when blacks are subject to vigilante justice? Why do whites have so much over blacks?
Why can’t blacks turn whites in for brutality?
Essay Topic 9
Throughout Chapter 5, Cassie experiences cruelty and injustice. What types of injustice
does Cassie suffer? Why do these incidents bother Cassie so? What does Cassie learn
about fairness in Chapter 5?
Essay Topic 10
When they get home Cassie is still upset that Big Ma didn’t defend her in Strawberry.
What emotions was Big Ma feeling during the incident with the Simms? What did Big
Ma fear might happen if they didn’t do what the Simms wanted? What were some other
reasons that Big Ma didn’t defend Cassie?
Essay Topic 11
White people thought they were superior to blacks. How did the whites justify their
superiority? How did the belief in white superiority translate to mistreatment of blacks?
In the novel, did most blacks believe they were inferior to whites?
2
Short Essay Questions
1. What is the white school and grounds like?
2. What is the black school and grounds like?
3. When do the black children attend school and why?
4. Why is Cassie disappointed when she sees the new readers at school?
5. What does Mrs. Logan do when Miss Crocker tells her how Little Man and
Cassie rejected their books?
6. What does Big Ma look like?
7. Why does Big Ma wish they had more low cotton?
5
8. Describe Mr. Morrison.
9. Why was Mr. Morrison fired from the railroad?
10. What happened to John Henry Berry and his family?
11. Why don’t the Logan children like wearing the rain gear their mother
provides?
12. What does Big Ma tell Little Man when he keeps complaining because the
black children don’t have a bust to take them to school?
13. What do the Logan children do to the white children’s school bus?
14. What happens to the school bus in Chapter 3?
6
50. What is so special about a revival?
51. What does Mr. Morrison do every night?
52. What happened to T.J.?
53. Why does Cassie think that Stacey feels responsible for T.J.?
54. What do the Logan children see after they get T.J. home?
55. Why doesn’t T.J. get hung in Chapter 11?
56. What does Mr. Logan do when he hears about T.J. and that Stacey is still up in
the woods?
12
57. How do Mama and Big Ma prepare to fight the fire?
58. What does Jeremy say about the fire?
59. Who fights the fire together?
60. How does Cassie realize how the fire started?
13
Short Essay Questions Key
1. What is the white school and grounds like?
The white school is a long white wooden building. Behind the building is a wide sport
field with scattered rows of tiered gray-looking benches. The Confederate, Mississippi,
and American Flags hang in front of the school.
2. What is the black school and grounds like?
The black school is made up of four weather-beaten wooden houses on stilts of brick.
There is a wide crabgrass lawn that is kept short by the caretaker’s cow.
3. When do the black children attend school and why?
The black children attend school from October to March. Many of the students are
needed in the fields from early spring when the cotton is planted until after most of the
cotton has been picked in the fall, so the school schedule is adjusted accordingly.
4. Why is Cassie disappointed when she sees the new readers at school?
Cassie is excited to have a book of her very own for the very first time. When she sees,
the condition of the books, however, she is disappointed. The books are badly worn and
the edges of the pages have been marred by pencils, crayons, and ink.
5. What does Mrs. Logan do when Miss Crocker tells her how Little Man and
Cassie rejected their books?
Miss Crocker tells Mrs. Logan that her children, Little Man and Cassie, rejected their
school books. When Mrs. Logan realizes that her children refused the books because
they had the word “nigra” in them, she pastes a clean piece of paper over the offending
word.
14
6. What does Big Ma look like?
Big Ma is tall and strongly built. She has clear, smooth skin that is the color of a pecan
shell.
7. Why does Big Ma wish they had more low cotton?
Big Ma doesn’t like the children climbing poles to pick the tall cotton. She wishes that
they had more low cotton so the children didn’t have to climb to pick.
8. Describe Mr. Morrison.
Mr. Morrison is a big man with large muscles. His skin is very dark and marred by scars.
His hair is streaked with gray, but his eyes are clear and penetrating.
9. Why was Mr. Morrison fired from the railroad?
Mr. Morrison was fired from his job because he got into a fight with some white men. It
wasn’t his fault, but because he was black and they were white, he was fired.
10. What happened to John Henry Berry and his family?
Some white men thought that John Berry had been flirting with a white woman. So the
white men rammed John Henry’s vehicle. Then they dragged him and his brother and
uncle out of the vehicle and lit them on fire.
11. Why don’t the Logan children like wearing the rain gear their mother
provides?
When it rains, Mrs. Logan makes the children wear dried calf-skins. The children hate
this rain gear. When the skins get wet, they emit a musty odor that clings to the
children’s clothes and skin.
15
54. What do the Logan children see after they get T.J. home?
After the Logan children walk T.J. home, they see cars coming. The Wallaces and
Simms break into the Avery’s home and beat up Claude. They drag T.J. out of the house
on his knees. They throw the girls out the windows and shove and hurt Mr. and Mrs.
Avery when they try to help T.J.
55. Why doesn’t T.J. get hung in Chapter 11?
Mr. Jamison comes and stops the men from hanging T.J. He tells them to wait for the
sheriff, and that he and the sheriff will take T.J. into custody.
56. What does Mr. Logan do when he hears about T.J. and that Stacey is still up in
the woods?
When Mr. Logan hears about T.J. and that Stacey is up in the woods, he moves quickly
to his room. Then he pulls down his shotgun and grabs some shells.
57. How do Mama and Big Ma prepare to fight the fire?
Mama and Big Ma prepare to fight the fire by first filling some washtubs with water.
Then they grab burlap sacks and get them wet. They grab the handle of a washtub, the
sacks, and some shovels, and go to fight the fire.
58. What does Jeremy say about the fire?
Jeremy says that the fire came from the lightning and struck a wooden fence post. Then
it sparked the cotton and burned about a quarter of it.
59. Who fights the fire together?
Black and white, townspeople and farmers all fight the fire together. R.W. and Merlin
Simms fight alongside Jeremy and his father. Mr. Granger fights to save his trees. Even
Kaleb Wallace is seen fighting the fire.
24
60. How does Cassie realize how the fire started?
Cassie overhears Mr. Morrison and her papa talking. Suddenly she realizes that her
papa started the fire to save T.J.
25
Multiple Choice Questions
1. How many brothers does Cassie have?
(a) 2.
(b) 4.
(c) 1.
(d) 3.
2. Where do the Logans live?
(a) Louisiana.
(b) Georgia.
(c) Alabama.
(d) Mississippi.
3. What type of shoes is Little Man wearing in Chapter 1?
(a) Sneakers.
(b) Brown oxfords.
(c) Shiny black dress shoes.
(d) Brown loafers.
4. How old is Little Man?
(a) 6.
(b) 5.
(c) 7.
(d) 8.
5. When do the Logan children start school?
(a) July.
(b) August.
(c) September.
(d) October.
6. How old is Stacey?
(a) 12.
(b) 10.
(c) 13.
(d) 11.
7. How old is Christopher John?
(a) 6.
(b) 9.
(c) 7.
(d) 8.
26
8. How many acres of land do the Logans own?
(a) 400.
(b) 40.
(c) 75.
(d) 250.
9. When did Cassie’s Grandpa first purchase land?
(a) 1902.
(b) 1874.
(c) 1892.
(d) 1887.
10. When did Cassie’s Grandpa make a second land purchase?
(a) 1934.
(b) 1918.
(c) 1921.
(d) 1894.
11. In what year did the price of cotton drop?
(a) 1930.
(b) 1929.
(c) 1934.
(d) 1928.
12. Where does Cassie’s Papa work for the railroad?
(a) Louisiana.
(b) Mississippi.
(c) Georgia.
(d) Alabama.
13. When did Jeremy start going to school?
(a) August.
(b) July.
(c) September.
(d) October.
14. How many school buses are there for the white school?
(a) 3.
(b) 4.
(c) 2.
(d) 1.
27
15. How long does it take the Logan children to walk to school?
(a) About 45 minutes.
(b) An hour.
(c) 90 minutes.
(d) 45 minutes.
16. Who is Big Ma?
(a) Mr. Logan’s mother.
(b) Cassie’s great-grandmother.
(c) Mrs. Logan’s mother.
(d) Cassie’s great-aunt.
17. What do the children climb to pick cotton?
(a) Ladders.
(b) Wooden poles.
(c) Boxes.
(d) Trellises.
18. What color is Big Ma’s skin?
(a) Tar.
(b) Pecan.
(c) Ink.
(d) Night.
19. Where does cotton grow low?
(a) Tallahassee.
(b) Vicksburg.
(c) Jackson.
(d) Montgomery.
20. Which of the children doesn’t climb to pick the cotton?
(a) Christopher-John.
(b) Stacey.
(c) Cassie.
(d) Little Man.
21. Into what does Big Ma put the cotton that she picks?
(a) Wooden box.
(b) Canvas bag.
(c) Burlap sack.
(d) Wagon.
28
22. What is Mrs. Logan’s first name?
(a) Rebecca.
(b) Susannah.
(c) Mary.
(d) Anna.
23. What is Mr. Logan’s first name?
(a) Peter.
(b) David.
(c) Andrew.
(d) Robert.
24. How tall is Mr. Logan?
(a) 6 feet.
(b) 6 feet, 2 inches.
(c) 5 feet 11 inches.
(d) 5 feet, 10 inches.
25. What type of chair is Grandpa Logan’s chair?
(a) Walnut bench.
(b) Upholstered chair.
(c) Captain’s chair.
(d) Oak rocker.
26. What are the walls of the Logan house made of?
(a) Lathe and plaster.
(b) Oak.
(c) Logs.
(d) Drywall.
27. How many bedrooms are in the Logan house?
(a) 1.
(b) 3.
(c) 2.
(d) 4.
28. How many of Mr. Logan’s brothers are dead?
(a) 1.
(b) 4.
(c) 2.
(d) 3.
29
164. Where is the sheriff while T.J. is being interrogated?
(a) Driving.
(b) The jail.
(c) At the Barnett’s store.
(d) Granger’s place.
165. What is the sheriff’s name?
(a) Hank.
(b) Robert.
(c) Bob.
(d) Andy.
166. Who does Mrs. Logan say can prevent T.J. from getting lynched?
(a) Mr. Granger.
(b) Mr. Simms.
(c) The sheriff.
(d) Mr. Jamison.
167. What does Big Ma do after Mr. Logan and Mr. Morrison go to get T.J. and
Stacey?
(a) Gets her medicines ready.
(b) Fixes a snack.
(c) Cries.
(d) Prays.
168. What do Big Ma and Mrs. Logan grab to fight the fire?
(a) Wet blankets.
(b) Wet burlap sacks, washtubs of water, and shovels.
(c) Tubs full of water.
(d) Buckets and hoes.
169. Where do Big Ma and Mrs. Logan cut through to get to the fire?
(a) East pasture.
(b) West pasture.
(c) North pasture.
(d) South pasture.
170. Who comes to the Logan house at dawn?
(a) Mr. Jamison.
(b) Mr. Granger.
(c) Lillian Jean.
(d) Jeremy.
50
171. How long does Jeremy and his father fight the fire together?
(a) 45 minutes.
(b) An hour.
(c) 30 minutes.
(d) 2 hours.
172. Who fights the fire alongside Jeremy and his father?
(a) Mr. Avery.
(b) Mr. Berry.
(c) R.W. and Melvin Simms.
(d) T.J.
173. How does Jeremy think that the fire started?
(a) Someone was smoking in the woods.
(b) Lightning hit a tree.
(c) Lightning hit a fence post.
(d) Men had torches and T.J. and R.W. were going through the woods and sparked the
fire.
174. After the fire starts, how long does it rain?
(a) 3 hours.
(b) 2 hours.
(c) An hour.
(d) About a half an hour.
175. In what direction does the thunderstorm go?
(a) West.
(b) East.
(c) North.
(d) South.
176. What old tree is untouched by the fire?
(a) Walnut.
(b) Hickory.
(c) Oak.
(d) Maple.
177. How many townspeople help put out the fire?
(a) A dozen.
(b) 15.
(c) Two dozen.
(d) 22.
51
178. What type of hat does Mr. Lanier wear while putting out the fire?
(a) Basebal cap.
(b) Blue floppy hat.
(c) Stocking cap.
(d) Straw hat.
179. What is Mr. Jamison’s first name?
(a) Wade.
(b) Morris.
(c) Andrew.
(d) Robert.
180. What time does Jim Lee Barnett die?
(a) 5 a.m.
(b) Noon.
(c) Midnight.
(d) 4 a.m.
52
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. D
2. D
3. C
4. A
5. D
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. D
10. B
11. A
12. A
13. A
14. C
15. B
16. A
17. B
18. B
19. B
20. B
41. C
42. C
43. A
44. C
45. B
46. B
47. D
48. C
49. C
50. B
51. D
52. A
53. B
54. C
55. C
56. A
57. D
58. A
59. A
60. D
81. B
82. D
83. C
84. C
85. B
86. B
87. D
88. D
89. D
90. A
91. D
92. A
93. B
94. A
95. A
96. C
97. B
98. B
99. D
100. A
121. A
122. A
123. C
124. A
125. B
126. B
127. B
128. D
129. C
130. B
131. A
132. A
133. B
134. A
135. D
136. C
137. A
138. A
139. A
140. C
21. C
22. C
23. B
24. B
25. D
26. B
27. B
28. C
29. D
30. C
31. C
32. D
33. C
34. A
35. D
36. C
37. B
38. B
39. B
40. C
61. D
62. A
63. A
64. A
65. C
66. B
67. D
68. D
69. D
70. D
71. C
72. C
73. B
74. C
75. C
76. D
77. B
78. A
79. D
80. B
101. C
102. A
103. B
104. D
105. C
106. C
107. B
108. C
109. C
110. B
111. C
112. A
113. B
114. D
115. B
116. B
117. B
118. B
119. B
120. C
141. A
142. D
143. C
144. A
145. D
146. C
147. B
148. C
149. A
150. C
151. D
152. A
153. A
154. B
155. C
156. D
157. C
158. D
159. B
160. A
53
161. C
162. D
163. A
164. D
165. A
166. A
167. D
168. B
169. D
170. D
171. B
172. C
173. C
174. C
175. B
176. C
177. C
178. B
179. A
180. D
Short Answer Questions
1. How many brothers does Cassie have?
2. Where do the Logans live?
3. What type of shoes is Little Man wearing in Chapter 1?
4. How old is Little Man?
5. When do the Logan children start school?
6. How old is Stacey?
7. How old is Christopher John?
54
8. How many acres of land do the Logans own?
9. When did Cassie’s Grandpa first purchase land?
10. When did Cassie’s Grandpa make a second land purchase?
11. In what year did the price of cotton drop?
12. Where does Cassie’s Papa work for the railroad?
13. When did Jeremy start going to school?
14. How many school buses are there for the white school?
55
15. How long does it take the Logan children to walk to school?
16. Who is Big Ma?
17. What do the children climb to pick cotton?
18. What color is Big Ma’s skin?
19. Where does cotton grow low?
20. Which of the children doesn’t climb to pick the cotton?
21. Into what does Big Ma put the cotton that she picks?
56
168. What do Big Ma and Mrs. Logan grab to fight the fire?
169. Where do Big Ma and Mrs. Logan cut through to get to the fire?
170. Who comes to the Logan house at dawn?
171. How long does Jeremy and his father fight the fire together?
172. Who fights the fire alongside Jeremy and his father?
173. How does Jeremy think that the fire started?
174. After the fire starts, how long does it rain?
78
175. In what direction does the thunderstorm go?
176. What old tree is untouched by the fire?
177. How many townspeople help put out the fire?
178. What type of hat does Mr. Lanier wear while putting out the fire?
179. What is Mr. Jamison’s first name?
180. What time does Jim Lee Barnett die?
79
Short Answer Questions Key
1. How many brothers does Cassie have?
3.
2. Where do the Logans live?
Mississippi.
3. What type of shoes is Little Man wearing in Chapter 1?
Shiny black dress shoes.
4. How old is Little Man?
6.
5. When do the Logan children start school?
October.
6. How old is Stacey?
12.
7. How old is Christopher John?
7.
80
8. How many acres of land do the Logans own?
400.
9. When did Cassie’s Grandpa first purchase land?
1887.
10. When did Cassie’s Grandpa make a second land purchase?
1918.
11. In what year did the price of cotton drop?
1930.
12. Where does Cassie’s Papa work for the railroad?
Louisiana.
13. When did Jeremy start going to school?
August.
14. How many school buses are there for the white school?
2.
81
15. How long does it take the Logan children to walk to school?
An hour.
16. Who is Big Ma?
Mr. Logan’s mother.
17. What do the children climb to pick cotton?
Wooden poles.
18. What color is Big Ma’s skin?
Pecan.
19. Where does cotton grow low?
Vicksburg.
20. Which of the children doesn’t climb to pick the cotton?
Stacey.
21. Into what does Big Ma put the cotton that she picks?
Burlap sack.
82
22. What is Mrs. Logan’s first name?
Mary.
23. What is Mr. Logan’s first name?
David.
24. How tall is Mr. Logan?
6 feet, 2 inches.
25. What type of chair is Grandpa Logan’s chair?
Oak rocker.
26. What are the walls of the Logan house made of?
Oak.
27. How many bedrooms are in the Logan house?
3.
28. How many of Mr. Logan’s brothers are dead?
2.
83
154. Where did the Simms brothers go after robbing the Barnetts’ store?
Pool hall.
155. After the robbery, how far does T.J. have to walk before he gets a ride?
1 mile.
156. How long does Stacey think it will take him to get T.J. back home after
robbery?
25-30 minutes.
157. Which of the Logan children help get T.J. back home?
All of them.
158. How many vehicles pull into the Avery yard after the Logan children get T.J.
home?
6.
159. Who goes to the Avery’s door and yells?
Kaleb Wallace.
160. Who smashes one of Avery’s windows with a gun?
R. W. Simms.
102
161. Which of the Averys is hauled out of the house, knocked to the ground, and
kicked?
Claude.
162. Who kicks T.J. in the stomach when he doesn’t answer the question of where
his accomplices are and where the money is?
Kaleb Wallace.
163. While T.J. is being interrogated, how many more cars arrive at the Avery
place?
2.
164. Where is the sheriff while T.J. is being interrogated?
Granger’s place.
165. What is the sheriff’s name?
Hank.
166. Who does Mrs. Logan say can prevent T.J. from getting lynched?
Mr. Granger.
167. What does Big Ma do after Mr. Logan and Mr. Morrison go to get T.J. and
Stacey?
Prays.
103
168. What do Big Ma and Mrs. Logan grab to fight the fire?
Wet burlap sacks, washtubs of water, and shovels.
169. Where do Big Ma and Mrs. Logan cut through to get to the fire?
South pasture.
170. Who comes to the Logan house at dawn?
Jeremy.
171. How long does Jeremy and his father fight the fire together?
An hour.
172. Who fights the fire alongside Jeremy and his father?
R.W. and Melvin Simms.
173. How does Jeremy think that the fire started?
Lightning hit a fence post.
174. After the fire starts, how long does it rain?
An hour.
104
Eight Week Quiz G
Name: _________________________
Period: ___________________
This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter
12.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. How much older was Big Ma’s husband than she was?
(a) 7 years.
(b) 5 years.
(c) 4 years.
(d) 8 years.
2. In Chapter 4, what does T.J. bring back to Mrs. Logan?
(a) Butter churn.
(b) Thread.
(c) Needle.
(d) Scissors.
3. In the novel, how many years have passed since the Civil War?
(a) 75.
(b) 50.
(c) 65.
(d) 70.
4. How old is T.J.?
(a) 13.
(b) 14.
(c) 15.
(d) 12.
5. In Chapter 5, how many times does Cassie say she has been to market day?
(a) 3.
(b) 2.
(c) 1.
(d) 0.
136
Short Answer Questions
1. What are the Logan children supposed to wear to keep the rain off from them?
2. Where does Jeremy sleep at night?
3. Who fights the fire alongside Jeremy and his father?
4. How many school buses are there for the white school?
5. How old was Big Ma when she got married?
137
Multiple Choice Questions Key
1. D
2. D
3. D
4. B
5. D
Short Answer Questions Key
1. What are the Logan children supposed to wear to keep the rain off from them?
Calf skins.
2. Where does Jeremy sleep at night?
In a tree.
3. Who fights the fire alongside Jeremy and his father?
R.W. and Melvin Simms.
4. How many school buses are there for the white school?
2.
5. How old was Big Ma when she got married?
18.
138
Mid-Book Test - Hard
Name: _________________________
Period: ___________________
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3)
essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What do the children climb to pick cotton?
2. In Chapter 2, what day does Mr. Logan have to leave so he’ll be back to work on
time?
3. What is the name of the woman that the mercantile owner waits on and makes
T.J. wait?
4. How tall is Mr. Logan?
5. Where was Big Ma’s father hiding when freedom came?
163
Short Essay Questions
1. According to Mrs. Logan, why did Mr. Simms push Cassie?
2. What does T.J. admire at the Barnett Mercantile?
3. What is the black school and grounds like?
4. What does Mrs. Logan do when Miss Crocker tells her how Little Man and
Cassie rejected their books?
5. What does Uncle Hammer do when he hears how Mr. Simms treated Cassie?
6. What does Uncle Hammer look like?
164
7. What does Big Ma tell Little Man when he keeps complaining because the black
children don’t have a bust to take them to school?
8. hy does Mr. Avery come to the Logan home at the end of Chapter 3?
9. Describe Mr. Morrison.
10. Why does Cassie get in trouble at the Barnett Mercantile?
165
Essay Topics
Essay Topic 1
Most black families, including the Logans, grow cotton. Why is it so important for the
Logans to grow cotton? What does cotton symbolize for the Logans? What benefits do
the Logans gain from growing cotton? What do most black families gain from their
cotton crops? How are the benefits the Logans gain from their cotton crop different from
what other black gain from growing cotton?
Essay Topic 2
Thunder and storms occur in the novel during times of conflict. How often does a
thunderstorm occur during a time of crisis? What does thunder symbolize in the novel?
Does thunder sometimes foreshadow events to come? What does the title of the novel
mean?
Essay Topic 3
When they get home Cassie is still upset that Big Ma didn’t defend her in Strawberry.
What emotions was Big Ma feeling during the incident with the Simms? What did Big
Ma fear might happen if they didn’t do what the Simms wanted? What were some other
reasons that Big Ma didn’t defend Cassie?
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Short Answer Key
1. What do the children climb to pick cotton?
Wooden poles.
2. In Chapter 2, what day does Mr. Logan have to leave so he’ll be back to work on
time?
Sunday.
3. What is the name of the woman that the mercantile owner waits on and makes
T.J. wait?
Miss Emmaline.
4. How tall is Mr. Logan?
6 feet, 2 inches.
5. Where was Big Ma’s father hiding when freedom came?
In a cave.
Short Essay Answer Key
1. According to Mrs. Logan, why did Mr. Simms push Cassie?
Mr. Simms pushed Cassie because she is black. He believes that since he and his
family are white, they are better than Cassie so he had the right to put her in her place.
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2. What does T.J. admire at the Barnett Mercantile?
T.J. admires a pearl-handled revolved in a case at the Barnett Mercantile. He wants it
for protection so that no one would mess with him.
3. What is the black school and grounds like?
The black school is made up of four weather-beaten wooden houses on stilts of brick.
There is a wide crabgrass lawn that is kept short by the caretaker’s cow.
4. What does Mrs. Logan do when Miss Crocker tells her how Little Man and
Cassie rejected their books?
Miss Crocker tells Mrs. Logan that her children, Little Man and Cassie, rejected their
school books. When Mrs. Logan realizes that her children refused the books because
they had the word “nigra” in them, she pastes a clean piece of paper over the offending
word.
5. What does Uncle Hammer do when he hears how Mr. Simms treated Cassie?
When Uncle Hammer hears how Mr. Simms treated Cassie. He gets angry and gets in
his car to go after Simms.
6. What does Uncle Hammer look like?
Uncle Hammer looks a lot like Mr. Logan. He has dark, red-brown skin, a square-jawed
face, and high cheekbones. His eyes are different, though. His eyes have a cold, distant
glaze.
7. What does Big Ma tell Little Man when he keeps complaining because the black
children don’t have a bust to take them to school?
When Little Man complains that the black children don’t have a bus to take them to
school, Big Ma tells him there is no sense fretting about it. She tells him to keep on
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studying and get himself a good education, and he would be all right.
8. hy does Mr. Avery come to the Logan home at the end of Chapter 3?
Mr. Avery comes to the Logan home to warn them. His wife works for the Grangers, and
she overheard a conversation that led her to believe that the whites would be riding that
night to hurt black people.
9. Describe Mr. Morrison.
Mr. Morrison is a big man with large muscles. His skin is very dark and marred by scars.
His hair is streaked with gray, but his eyes are clear and penetrating.
10. Why does Cassie get in trouble at the Barnett Mercantile?
At first, the store owner waits on T.J., but when white folks need to be waited on, T.J. is
left waiting. Cassie puts up with it for a while because the whites are grownups. But
when she sees a girl being waited on before them, she gets mad. When she makes a
fuss, she gets in trouble and is told to get out of the store and stay out.
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