STUDY QUESTIONS: Comprehension and Discussion (continued)

(Discussion)

36. Do you agree or disagree with PapaÂ’s opinion about friendship between blacks and whites? Do you think things are different today? On what do you base your opinion?

37. How does T.J. try to trick Stacey a second time? (Tells him he wouldnÂ’t have anything to do with a flute made by a white kid)

38. What does Big Ma do about her land to prevent the Grangers from getting it. (Has it put into DavidÂ’s and HammerÂ’s names so it canÂ’t be sold without both of their signatures)

39. What do the laborers get paid in the Granger fields? (50 cents a day)

40. How long has the Logan family owned the land? (50 years)

41. How do you feel about the way Cassie handled Lillian Jean? Would you have done anything different to "stand up" to her?

42. What does Papa compare their family to when he talks about hanging onto the land? (The little fig tree)

43. What does T.J. do that causes conflict between him and Mary Logan? (Cheats on the semester exam)

44. Why does T.J. blame his school failure on his teacher? What personality characteristic had he NOT developed? (Discussion)

45. What lesson was Mama teaching when the school board members visited her class? (Slavery)

45a. Do you think she should have done some quick thinking and changed her lesson while the white men were there? Why or why not?

46. What is wrong with T.J.Â’s definition of friendship? (Discussion)

47. Who is the first to point out that R.W. and Melvin are not "real" friends to T.J.? (Their younger brother Jeremy)

48. Which of the landowners will not raise the price taken from the sharecroppers? (Mr. Harrison)

49. Where does Mr. Granger threaten to send the sharecroppers? (To a chain gang)

49a. Do you think Mr. Granger can really do that, or is it just a scare tactic?

50. Why does Mr. Morrison not want to leave the Logans in spite of the threat of danger? (Discussion)

51. What does Mr. Morrison do when Kaleb Wallace tries to block the road with his truck? (Physically moves the truck off the road)

51a. Explain why Mr. Morrison is not afraid of Kaleb Wallace. (Discussion)

52. What does Jeremy try to share with Stacey? (His tree house)

53. What happens that forces Papa to contact Hammer for money? (The bank forecloses)

53a. Explain why the bank decided not to honor the loan for the full term.

54. Discuss the actions that Granger takes to get the land away from the Logans and tell why each one of them fails.

55. Explain what happens to T.J. at BarnettÂ’s store. How was T.J. partially at fault even though he did not actually break anything or hurt anyone.

56. (Graphic Organizer) Create a time line of the Logans lives and ownership of the property, beginning with the original purchase of the land.

57. (Character study) Create a character "map" of Cassie Logan in which you show the problems she faced, what she did about each and how it helped her to mature.

58. (Character study) Create a character map of T.J. Avery. Show a sequence of events in which he was involved and describe the gradual decline in his attitude and behavior.

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