Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Lesson Plan

How does Christianity function differently for white and black people in the novel?

As Mama tells Cassie in Chapter 6, Christianity was a means of subjugation during slavery. At the same time, the church is a pillar a black community life. For Lillian Jean, who tells Cassie that God will bless her for “Uncle Tomming,” God is an arbiter of the racial orderr: if God blesses it, than it must be just, natural, and good, even though Lillian Jean's behavior, and indeed the entire racist system, is incredibly cruel. (If students are familiar with the KKK and the practice of burning crosses, they can discuss the use of Christian imagery in the carrying out of racial violence.)...