codes were laws enacted to maintain social control over the former slaves of the South. One way White people in the South maintained their supremacy extralegally was through terrorist activities, which went largely unpunished by the justice system. If a Black person was accused of virtually anything by a White person, the White person’s word was accepted as the truth. False or exaggerated charges were not unusual. A prevalent and malicious stereotype in the South portrayed Black men as dangerous to women. A Black man accused of so much as flirting with a White woman could have been captured by a vigilante mob and then possibly lynched, tarred and feathered, or even set afire. These public executions were often treated like spectacles by crowds of White onlookers and served to remind Black communities of their powerlessness.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry addresses these horrific activities from early in the story. The Logans’ gossipy friend T. J. tells them on the first day of school that “some white men took a match” to the Berry family, a Black gentleman and his nephew. The reason for the attack is not given until later; it turns out that someone accused one of the Berrys of making contact with a White woman. A few evenings later, Cassie and her brothers are doing homework when T. J.’s father comes by to announce that “They’s ridin’ tonight.” “They” are the mob of White men who roam the countryside, looking to punish Black people whom they believe have stepped out of their designated social roles in some way. Cassie doesn’t fully understand the implications due to her age, but she is aware that her mother, grandmother, and their houseguest, Mr. Morrison, stay up all night keeping watch.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry features a straightforward and uncomplicated style. Taylor's controlled use of symbolism lends depth to the work's major themes. The old oak tree that borders the Logan land, for example, represents the Logans' strength and perseverance. The frequent allusions to slavery afford a backdrop for the Logans' struggle and provide revealing, instructive historical background. The characterizations are, for the most part, effective and believable, although Cassie sometimes seems unbelievably perceptive for her age. Despite limited physical descriptions, the interactions among characters reveal much about their personalities and motivations.

Taylor deftly manipulates diction, shifting appropriately between the relaxed idiom of the children and the rather stilted, impersonal language of teachers addressing their classes. The rhythmic dialect in the informal conversations lends itself well to reading aloud. The pace of the narrative is somewhat slow, rendering the book less exciting than many other novels for young adults, yet the progression of the plot is masterfully controlled and free from confusing subplots. The few flashbacks fit naturally into the context of those scenes in which they appear.

The point of view from which the story is told, that of an eight- or nine-year-old girl, permits a naivete that illuminates an illogical social system. It also offers a view of reality from a character who is still too young to be embittered by the injustices that are a part of her life. Cassie's inquisitiveness forces the adults to see the hypocrisy in accepted behaviors and value systems. An older narrator more thoroughly indoctrinated and inhibited by the social climate could not have raised the same provocative questions that serve to highlight the failures and inconsistencies of the immediate environment.

In this novel, oral history provides valuable information about the influence of past events on the characters. Cassie's grandmother recounts past events so often that Cassie can almost recite the stories simultaneously. Much of the story that Mr. Morrison tells about the death of his parents when he was only six years old may have been engraved in his memory in a similar manner. Strong verbs add vitality to the book's descriptive passages, allowing the reader to visualize the scenes and characters. Taylor's use of language and her manipulation of scenes establish a generally nonconfrontational tone. In many instances in the novel, the adversaries do not face one another, and consequently many negative reactions are portrayed indirectly. This authorial strategy reduces the emotional intensity and harshness that could well have resulted from a different presentation.

Throughout the work, Taylor addresses the dynamics of racial tension, and although the dramatization of this sensitive issue is carefully controlled, some students might benefit from background information concerning the era in which the novel is set. The attitudes and tolerance of the older Blacks toward social injustices could prove problematic. Some students may find it difficult to accept the older characters' assertions that some situations simply must be endured. Careful preparation should precede discussion of the scenes depicting burnings or referring to lynchings and hangings. Ultimately, the sense of community demonstrated by both Blacks and Whites toward the end of the novel offsets the acts of violence. The events of the novel need not be distorted or minimized since most younger readers are emotionally capable of confronting the difficult issues raised.

Violence is not a major theme of the work, but the nature of the conflict necessitates some solutions and strategies that contradict the values that families such as the Logans would usually uphold. On occasion, characters in the novel include guns in their preparation for a potential confrontation, but the conflicts are resolved without the use of firearms.

The racial conflict among the school children in the community is not particularly intense and in some instances differs little from normal tension among young people in any community. This dimension of the work should pose few, if any problems.