Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Compare and contrast the childhood memories of Papa and Uncle Hammer with Mr. Morrison’s story. Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Chapter 7 | Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

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This chapter also highlights the power of history. Papa insists that his children hear about the night men who killed Mr. Morrison's family. Storytelling in the African-American literary tradition is more than a way to pass the time; it is also a means of testifying to and remembering the past in hopes of helping future generations. Mr. Morrison had an even more traumatic past than Papa. Mr. Morrison tells a story which Mama doesn't want the children to hear, but to which Papa insists they listen. One Christmas during Reconstruction, Mr. Morrison was six and lived in a shantytown with his family. Night men came in pursuit of two teenage boys accused of molesting a white woman whom had hid in his house, hoping his strong father would help save them. Mama explains that slaves were bred for strength like animals during slavery. The night men burned and killed women and children, including his two sisters, and although Mr. Morrison's parents fought hard, they both died too. Though he was only a child, Mr. Morrison makes himself remember that night.