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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

by Mildred D. Taylor

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Discussion Topic

Character analysis of Mr. Morrison in "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry."

Summary:

Mr. Morrison is a strong, protective figure in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. He is a tall, imposing man who is fiercely loyal to the Logan family. Having lost his job on the railroad, he comes to live with and help the Logans. His presence provides physical security and emotional support, embodying resilience and moral fortitude.

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Who is Mr. Morrison in "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?"

Mr. Morrison is not a relative of the Logans, the main family in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, but he comes to live with them and plays a large part in their lives.

Mr. Morrison first appears in the second chapter of the novel. He comes with the Logans' father, who has just returned home. Cassie, the main character and novel's narrator, says this when she first notices Mr. Morrison:

In our excitement, we had taken no notice of the other man standing quietly at the side of the road. But now, gazing upward at the most formidable-looking being we had ever encountered, we huddled closer to Papa.

Cassie then describes Mr. Morrison as "a human tree in height" and very large and muscular, which is probably why she was frightened him at first.

Later in the chapter, Cassie's father explains that he brought Mr. Morrison to the Logan's house because he lost his job, and her father asked if he'd be the family's "hired hand" who would do work around the house in exchange for a place to stay and a little money.

Later on in the novel, however, it becomes clear that Cassie's father had another reason for bringing Mr. Morrison to the Logan house: so he could protect the family while their father wasn't there.

Click here to read more about the characters in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

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Describe the character of Mr. Morrison in "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry".

In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Cassie Logan is a nine-year-old, African American girl living with her family in an environment of violent racism in Mississippi in the 1930s. Cassie's Papa brings Mr. Morrison to work on the land he owns and live with his family to help protect them when Papa has to go to work in Louisiana.

Mr. Morrison is also African American and is quite strong and large in stature. He apparently towers over Papa, who is pretty tall himself at six feet two. Mr. Morrison also has some scarring on his face from when he was caught in a fire as a child (the fire was started on purpose by white men, who killed his parents). This quote should give you a pretty good sense of his overall appearance: 

The long trunk of his massive body bulged with muscles, and his skin, of the deepest ebony, was partially scarred upon his face and neck, as if by fire.

With all that said, Mr. Morrison is also pretty quiet—not a man of too many words. He very obviously cares for the Logan family and will do all he can to protect them. 

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