Did Papa do the right thing in starting the fire? Defend your answer using details from the novel and examples from history/life.
At one point, Papa tells Cassie that “there’ll be a whole lot of things you ain’t gonna wanna do but you’ll have to do in this life just so you can survive… But, there are other things, Cassie, that if I’d let be, they’d eat away at me and destroy me in the end… There are things you can’t back down on, things you gotta take a stand on. But it’s up to you to decide what them things are,” (ch. 8, p. 175-176). What does Papa mean by this? How should a Christian person go about deciding what things to “let be” and what things to take a stand on?
On Christmas the family gathers around the fire and tells stories from their youth. They eventually start talking about some sad and scary things, and Mama is hesitant about the kids hearing these stories. Papa says, “These are things they need to hear, baby. It’s their history.” Is he right? At what age should a child start hearing about the sad and scary things of the past? Is it better for parents to protect their children from the harshness of life or to let them see reality for what it is? How did your parents handle that with you when you were growing up?
In chapter six, Mama hits on an important theme in this novel when she tells her daughter, “Baby, we have no choice of what color we’re born or who our parents are or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.” Explain what Mama means by this, and how you’ve seen this lesson play out in your own life (or in the life of someone you know).
In chapter one of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mrs. Logan (Mama) says that although children do have to learn “how things are,” as Miss Crocker said, “that doesn’t mean they have to accept them . . . and maybe we don’t either.” What does Mama mean by this? When in your life have you been called on to NOT accept the “way things are” (if you can’t think of a personal anecdote, think of an example you know from history)?
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Composition: 7th GradeGuidelinesThe whole purpose of this assignment - whether you're reacting to an idea, sharing your own story, or analyzing the reading - is to discuss the ultimate issues of life. With that in mind, make sure that you: Archives
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