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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

by Mildred D. Taylor

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Discussion Topic

Uncle Hammer's Coat and Stacey's Actions

Summary:

In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Stacey gives Uncle Hammer's coat to T.J. after being manipulated and teased by him. Uncle Hammer, upon learning this, decides not to retrieve the coat, teaching Stacey a lesson about personal responsibility and the importance of valuing what he has. Uncle Hammer emphasizes that Stacey must learn to protect his possessions and not be swayed by others' opinions, highlighting the need for self-reliance in overcoming negative influences.

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What does Stacey do with Hammer's coat in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry?

Stacey gave the coat away to T.J.

In Chapter 7, we discover why Stacey isn't wearing the coat that Uncle Hammer gave to him: T.J. has it in his possession. Essentially, Stacey gave the coat to T.J. because the latter made fun of him. For his part, T.J. manipulated Stacey into giving away Uncle Hammer's coat by playing on Stacey's need for social approval.

Cruelly, T.J. maintained that Stacey would look like a preacher in the coat. This is the main reason Stacey no longer has the coat Uncle Hammer gave him. When Uncle Hammer discovers what happened, he orders Stacey to refrain from trying to get the coat back. In this, Uncle Hammer means for Stacey to learn a hard lesson about the world.

According to Uncle Hammer, Stacey must learn how to protect the things he cherishes. Additionally, he must also learn to be watchful, in order to...

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prevent unscrupulous people from taking advantage of him. Here, Uncle Hammer is also indirectly saying that T.J. lied to Stacey.

T.J. wanted the coat for himself, so he used verbal manipulation to get his way. He never intended to give Stacey the coat back.

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What lesson does Uncle Hammer teach Stacey about his coat in "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry"?

Uncle Hammer lets T.J. keep the coat when he finds out that Stacey gave it to him.

Uncle Hammer notices that Stacey’s “faded cotton jacket” is too small for him.  He buys him a nice, luxurious new one. 

Stacey eagerly slipped on the coat; it was much too big for him, but Mama said that she could take up the sleeves and that he would grow into it in another year. (Ch. 6)

Although Stacey is thrilled at the gift, he does not shoot into Uncle Hammer’s arms.  He is reserved, holding out his hand for Uncle Hammer to shake.  It is his grown-up way of showing his appreciation.

Stacey is embarrassed because the new one is too big for him and he allows T.J. to tease him into giving it to him, calling him a “fat preacher.”  Stacey says he knows T.J. is just jealous, but he lets him get under his skin just the same.

When Mama asks Stacey to bring her his coat so that she can fix it to fit him better, he tells her it’s all right.  He then admits he gave it to T.J.

“. . . T.J. said it made me look like . . . like a preacher . . . he’d take it off my hands till I grow into it, then thataway all the guys would stop laughing at me and calling me preacher.” (Ch. 7)

Stacey’s defense is that he didn’t give it to him for good, and he just lent it to him, but his mother says that in the Logan house they do not give away clothes.  She tells him to go bring it to her.

Uncle Hammer overhears this.  He tells her to let it be.  If Stacey gave away the coat, he gave away the coat.  T.J. can keep it.  He is clearly hurt that Stacey would give away his gift.  He feels that Stacey was ungrateful, and does not deserve it.  T.J. can keep the coat because “at least he knows a good thing when he sees it.”

Hammer is really more upset that Stacey allowed T.J. to talk him out of his coat than at the fact that he gave away the present.  He knows that the Logan family will be facing tough times.  He feels Stacey needs his wits ahead of him.  When he speaks about Stacey’s “brains” he is trying to teach him a lesson, about T.J., about the world, and about bad influences in general.

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In *Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry*, how does Uncle Hammer react to Stacey giving T.J. his coat?

Uncle Hammer gives Stacey a good "tongue-lashing" which is far more effective, and far more forbidding, in Cassie's estimation, than "Papa's bottom-warming whippings".  Uncle Hammer tells Mama, who has ordered Stacey to get the coat back, that the coat can stay where it is, because "if Stacey's not smart enough to hold on to a good coat, he don't deserve it".  He says that Stacey has a brain of his own and shouldn't care what T.J. or anyone else thinks or says about him.  He tells Stacey, "as long as there are people, there's gonna be somebody trying to take what you got and trying to drag you down...it's up to you whether you let them or not...you care what a lot of useless people say 'bout you you'll never get anywhere, 'cause there's a lotta folks don't want you to make it".

Uncle Hammer's message is personal responsiblity - Stacey needs to know his own mind and be unafraid to stand up for himself if he wants to get along in the world; others can and will take advantage of him only if he permits them to.  His point is well taken - he never "laid a hand on Stacey, but Stacey shook visibly from the encounter".  This is a lesson Stacey will never forget (Chapter 7). 

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