There are many, many conflicts that arise in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Some are physical, and some are inherent in the properties of the story’s setting.
Stacey fights with T.J. after T.J. cheated on a test and Stacey got in trouble for it. Mama found T.J.’s cheat sheet in Stacey’s possession and whipped Stacey.
Stacey feels responsible for Papa's broken leg because he wasn't strong enough to hold Jack when Papa was shot trying to fix the wheels. Papa's gunshot wound was not serious, but the broken leg stops Papa from being able to work.
Cassie is made to address a white child as if she were superior to her and to apologize for something that wasn't her fault. In the Mississippi society at the time, black people were viewed as inferior to white people.
The fire in the cotton field threatens the livelihood of the Logan family. In addition, if the fire were to spread beyond the Logan land, all of the surrounding land would be in danger too. The Logans and the other members of the community work hard to put out the fire.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Encourage students to form small groups, each representing a different type of conflict from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Assign each group a conflict (e.g., Man vs. Society) and have them prepare arguments explaining why their conflict is the most impactful in the story. This activity builds critical thinking and helps students analyze multiple perspectives.
Give students a specific conflict type (like Man vs. Self) and a character (such as Stacey). Ask them to find examples from the book that show their assigned conflict and explain how it shapes the character's actions. This helps students connect textual evidence to character development.
Ask students to draw or digitally design a map showing where and how major conflicts occur in the story. Encourage creativity by allowing them to use symbols or images for each conflict. This visual approach makes abstract concepts more concrete and memorable.
Lead a discussion where students connect literary conflicts from the novel to situations they might encounter outside of school. Prompt students to share personal experiences or news stories that mirror the book's conflicts. This fosters empathy and real-world understanding.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry features several types of literary conflict, including man vs. man (character vs. character), man vs. self (internal struggle), man vs. society (character vs. societal norms), and man vs. nature (struggle against natural forces).
To teach literary conflict with this novel, have students identify examples of conflict as they read, categorize them (e.g., man vs. man, man vs. self), and discuss how these conflicts drive the plot. Visual activities like storyboards help reinforce understanding.
An example of man vs. society is when Cassie is forced to apologize to a white child for something she didn't do, reflecting the racial injustice and societal norms of 1930s Mississippi.
Understanding conflict helps students grasp character motivations, themes, and the impact of historical context in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It deepens comprehension by connecting personal struggles to larger social issues.
Quick activities include group discussions about conflicts in the novel, creating storyboards to illustrate conflicts, and writing short descriptions of each conflict type using examples from the story.