Power is Privilege

It is depressing to think that America is supposed to be a place of equality where everyone is equal, yet so many have less privilege and opportunity due to the inequality of power throughout the United States. The novel, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, is about an African American family living in Mississippi in 1933, and the hardships they encounter throughout the book. In the Logan family there is Big Ma, or Caroline Logan, Mama or Mary Logan, Papa or David Logan, Little man, Christopher John Logan, Cassie Logan, and the oldest child, Stacey Logan. Some other important important characters include T.J.(Stacey’s friend), the Wallace’s and the Simms(white families), Mr. Jamison(white lawyer) and …show more content…
It illustrates this when R.W. and Melvin rat out T.J. without taking the blame themselves. Cassie narrates, “‘And R. W. and Melvin Simms seen you and them two other boys running from behind that store-’...‘—Now who was them other two and where’s that money y’all took?’ Whatever T.J.’s reply, it obviously was not what Kaleb Wallace wanted to hear, for he pulled his leg back and kicked…”(Taylor 253) This quote is directly saying that the Simms brothers said that T.J. robbed the Barnett store. It also says that when T.J. tried to tell who the other two people who did it with him were he got kicked by Kaleb Wallace because Kaleb didn’t believe him. By looking at this example of plot structure the quote implies that T.J. was trying to say that R.W. and Melvin were the ones that helped him but Kaleb Wallace didn’t believe him. It can be inferred that Kaleb Wallace didn’t believe him because of his skin color and that Kaleb Wallace believes that white people are more reliable. Stating this the reader can imply that if the story was the other way around and T.J. told on the Simms brothers they would not believe T.J. But if R.W. and Melvin deny doing it they will take the Simms side and think T.J. is lying. This is very important to the book because it shows how white folks often believe white people are more reliable than black people. Likewise white voices have more power over black …show more content…
Maybe that way you won’t be bumping into decent white folks with your little nasty self.’”(Taylor 113-114) This quote is directly saying that Cassie and Lillian Jean bumped into each other on the sidewalk. It also says Lillian Jean wanted Cassie to apologize and get in the road but Cassie was resistant. By looking at this example of plot structure the quote implies that Lillian is making a big deal about Cassie bumping into her. When Lillian Jean starts ordering Cassie around Cassie is surprised and at first she doesn’t listen but then she gives in. Stating this the reader can infer that Lillian Jean has more power than Cassie does. The only reason that Lillian Jean could boss Cassie around like that was because she had more power and more privilege. There are two ways that Lillian Jean has more power over Cassie for. First, Lillian Jean is older which gives her a higher rank. Second, as usual, Lillian Jean is white and Cassie is black. If Lillian Jeans age was different and she was younger than Cassie than she probably wouldn’t have made such a big deal about getting bumped into. This is important to the book because it shows how not only white men have power over Cassie but white women