What is the Thunder's role in "Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor

In "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry", by Mildred D. Taylor, especially in the last chapter, the thunder plays an important role and can almost have a character of its own. In the novel the thunder makes contributions both to the mood and the story line. The importance of the thunder earned it a spot in the title.

Throughout the novel thunder is mentioned many times. In the last chapter the thunder makes an appearance whenever there is drama. It even makes a special appearance in the poem at the beginning of chapter 11. Mildred D. Taylor's main use of the thunder is to add a more dramatic feel to the story. The poem at the beginning of chapter 11 is from the point of view of a slave. This poem reminded me of the ancestry of the Logans and how they had come so far since the times of slavery even though it was not the long ago.

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The poem almost seems like a prayer to the thunder and in chapter 12 it almost seems as if the thunder is answering a prayer. In chapter 12, as the action progresses so does the amount of thunder. At the beginning of chapter 11 the narrator says, "The night whispered of distant thunder." When the Logans arrive at the Avery's yard the narrator once again mentions the thunder, "The thunder was creeping closer now, rolling angrily over the forest depths and bringing the lightning with it..." The closer the story gets to reaching the apex, the closer the thunder gets to where ever the drama is taking place. This effect sets a sort of suspenseful mood that captures all the reader's attention. Although the thunder's contribution to the mood is important, the most important role that it...