Discussion Topic
Cassie's Disappointment and Naivety in Strawberry
Summary:
In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Cassie is disappointed by her first visit to Strawberry, expecting a bustling town but finding only a small, unremarkable place. Her naivety is evident when she is surprised by racial discrimination, as her grandmother's goods are placed at the back of the market, reserved for white vendors. Cassie's lack of understanding of racial dynamics leads to conflict in a store when she protests being ignored in favor of white customers, highlighting her youthful ignorance.
Why was Cassie disappointed in Strawberry in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Cassie received several big disappointments when she first visited the town of Strawberry in the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Living in a very rural area, Cassie was expecting great things upon her first visit to Strawberry. But when she first arrived, she found the town nothing special: It's highlights were one paved road and a street light. When her grandmother was forced to locate their goods at the rear of the market, she later found that the choice spots were reserved for white people. After disobeying her grandmother and wandering away to shop, Cassie became angry when the shop owner waited on other white customers instead of her. When she objected, the shop owner called her a "nigger." It was not a happy day for Cassie, but it was a new if disappointing learning experience.
How does Cassie show her lack of sophistication in Strawberry in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?
Cassie was expecting Strawberry to be a big, sprawling town, but she...
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was highly disappointed when she got her first glimpse at it. "Is this it?" Cassie cried. A paved road and electric lines were the only modern conveniences she could see. She then became upset when she saw other vendors with better locations to sell their goods. Big Ma warned her to watch her mouth and to stay put whlle she visited Mr. Jamison. But Stacey took off and Cassie followed. Inside the Barnett Mercantile Store, Cassie became upset when several white people received preferential treatment, and Cassie protested. She lost her temper and argued with Mr. Barnett, who called her a "little nigger." When Stacey returned, Mr. Barnett ordered them both out of the store, but not before Cassie screamed at the owner once again.
Cassie's youthful ignorance did not allow her to understand the place of the Negro in the white man's world. She did not know her place. It was perfectly normal at that time for white customers to be waited upon before Negroes, and patience and humility were not virtues that she yet possessed.