Ch.12 Why do you think Mildred Taylor chose to plot the story this way? What do you think the fire, the rain, and the land could be symbols of?

Here, the weather metaphor of the previous chapter becomes full-fledged. The weather functions as a force as strong as that of hatred or love. It appears to be a sympathetic force, beginning to rain just when the fire cannot be stopped any other way. The metaphor of thunder, which has continued throughout the book, takes center stage in this chapter, which is the crisis of the book. In the song which Mr. Morrison sings at the opening of the chapter, the reader sees the origin of the title. In the image of men and women, black and white, working together to stop the fire, the author displays her most powerful suggestion yet of the possibility of racial harmony and cooperation. Race is symbolically erased by the bandanas and hats the people wear to protect themselves and their faces from the fire. This image suggests that, in a time of crisis, great divisions can be overcome.