Reading Guide Chapters 5 and 6 Answer Key

Chapter 5 (102­116) Mr. Wade Jamison ​
white man; the Logan’s attorney (lawyer); works/lives in Strawberry; respects African Americans ­ addresses Big Ma and Mama by “Missus” (106­107) Mr. Simms ​
white man; Jeremy and Lillian Jean Simms’ father; believes in white supremacy 37. Who goes with Big Ma to Strawberry and why? ​
Cassie, Stacey, and T.J.; Big Ma is bringing T.J. as a favor to Mr. Avery, so she brings Cassie and Stacey for extra company (103) 38. How does Cassie react when she finally sees Strawberry? ​
badly; disappointed; “a gutting disappointment [enveloped] me as we entered the town. Strawberry was nothing like the tough, sprawling bigness I had envisioned. It was instead a sad, red place.” (104) 39. Cassie is upset that Big Ma parks their wagon near the ​
back ​
of the field at the market because she thinks nobody will buy from them. Big Ma parks there because ​
she would not be allowed to park where the white folks park (106)​
. 40. While Big Ma talks with Mr. Wade Jamison, the kids decide to go to the ​
mercantile (general store). How do we already know about Mr. Jim Lee Barnett, the owner of the store, from a previous chapter? ​
Sam Tatum called him a liar; as a result Tatum was tarred and feathered by the night riders. (107) 41. T.J. shows Stacey and Cassie a ​
pearl­handled handgun ​
that he desperately wants. ​
(108) 42. Mr. Barnett begins to fill T.J.’s order but is called away to help a white woman. The children wait while he helps other white customers, but Cassie gets upset when he helps a young white girl before he finishes T.J.’s order. She assumes that he forgot about them; why does he really help others before them? ​
The other customers are white and, according to Barnett, are more important. (109­112) 43. Explain why Mr. Barnett gets so angry at Cassie. ​
Because she grabs his shirt, talks back to him, and does not silently wait her turn; “I merely went to the other side of it and tugged on his shirt sleeve to get his attention. He recoiled as if I struck him.” (111­112) 44. Explain what happens between Cassie and Lillian Jean on the sidewalk. ​
Cassie accidently bumps into Lillian Jean on the sidewalk. She demands Cassie apologizes and for her to get down in the road. When Cassie refuses to move, Mr. Simms grabs her by the arm and forces her to the ground. (113­116) 45. When Mr. Simms gets involved, he forces Cassie to apologize to Lillian Jean. Cassie looks to Big Ma to help, who tells Cassie to ​
do what Mr. Simms says​
. Mr. Simms forces Cassie to say “I’m sorry, ​
“Miz Lillian Jean​
.” ​
(115) 46. Explain how Cassie feels at the end of their trip to Strawberry.​
”No day in all my life had ever been as cruel as this one.” (116) Chapter 6 (117­139) Thurston Wallace​
brother to Kaleb and Dewberry Wallace 47. Who does Cassie blame for what happened in Strawberry and why? ​
Big Ma; “She made me apologize to that ole ugly Lillian Jean ‘bout something wasn’t even my fault. She took them ole Simmses’ side without even hearing mine” (118) 48. Cassie and Stacey see a shiny silver Packard (car) in the barn and assume that it is Harlan Granger’s car. Who owns that silver Packard in the barn? ​
Uncle Hammer Logan Why did he buy the same car as Harlan Granger? ​
He said, “I was right impressed with that big ole Packard of Mr. Harlan Filmore Granger’s and I thought I’d like to own one myself. It seems that me and Harlan Granger just got the same taste.” (120) 49. Big Ma keeps interrupting Cassie as she tries to tell Uncle Hammer about Strawberry because ​
she knows that Hammer has a temper and she’s afraid he might do something foolish, such as going after Barnett and Simms for how they treated Cassie. (121­123)​
. 50. When Uncle Hammer hears what happened to Cassie, he ​
gets mad, indicates he has a gun, gets into his car and supposedly goes towards the Simmses’ place​
. What could happen to him if he succeeds? ​
He could be killed for “stepping out of his place.” (130 top; 133 bottom) 51. Mary Logan explains to Cassie that Mr. Simms pushed her off the sidewalk because he thinks ​
Lillian Jean is better than her ​
because Lillian Jean is ​
white​
. Mary Logan says that Mr. Simms is “one of those people who has to believe that white people are better than black people to make himself feel big.” She goes on to say that though white people demand their respect, what they give them is not respect, but ​
fear​
. ​
(126­129) 52. Stacey feels very proud when Uncle Hammer gives him a new ​
coat (135) ​
as an early Christmas present. 53. Why does T.J. make fun of Stacey’s coat? ​
He is jealous that Stacey has a nice new coat. (136) 54. On the way home from church, Uncle Hammer comes to Soldiers Bridge, which is only wide enough for one car to cross at a time. Although a truck on the other side of the bridge got there first, Uncle Hammer guns the Packard and the truck backs off to let them pass. Who is in the truck? ​
Three of the Wallaces: Dewberry, Thurston, and Kaleb. (139) 55. Why do they let Uncle Hammer drive across the bridge first?​
They think he is Harlan Granger, since they have the same car. 56. Why is this dangerous for Uncle Hammer to do? ​
Because it is another example of an African American “stepping out of place” and they can get into trouble when they do that. 57. What does Mary Logan say in response to Uncle Hammer’s trick, which may ​
foreshadow things to come later in the novel? ​
“But one day we’ll have to pay for it. Believe me...one day we’ll pay.” (139)