How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"The older children are drinking regularly there now, even though they don't have any money to pay, and the Wallaces are simply adding the liquor charges to the family bill . . . just more money for them as they ruin our young people. As I see it the least we can do is stop shopping there. It may not be real justice, but it'll hurt them and we'll have done something." (7.58)
How is the Wallace story boycott reminiscent of the types of protest strategies used in the Civil Rights movement? Can you think of any more recent examples? A clue: In this case, not of the fried-in-Kentucky variety.
Quote #5
"But even more important than all that, you're pointing a finger right at the Wallaces with this boycott business. You're not only accusing them of murder, which in this case would be only a minor consideration because the man killed was black, but you're saying they should be punished for it. That they should be punished just as if they had killed a white man, and punishment for a white man for a wrong done to a black man would denote equality. Now that is what Harlan Granger absolutely will not permit." (7.153)
So, the boycott means more than just not shopping at the Wallace store and hurting them in the wallet. It goes much deeper than that. The Logans and other sharecroppers want justice for the blacks that were burned and killed. By boycotting the store, they are basically taking a stand against the entire system of oppression that the corrupt whites in the novel are propping up. To cut right to the chase, they're basically asserting their equality to the whites—and that's a dangerous move.
Quote #6
"The sad thing is, you know in the end you can't beat him or the Wallaces."
Papa looked down at the boys and me awaiting his reply, then nodded slightly, as if he agreed. "Still," he said, "I want these children to know we tried, and what we can't do now, maybe one day they will." (7.15-57)
This is a poignant moment in the text. Mr. Jamison (the first speaker here) points out that there is no way the Logans will win with their boycott against the Wallaces. The system of racist oppression and injustice is just too entrenched. Papa doesn't let that stop him, though. He has to set an example of striving against all odds for his children. Someday, he hopes, they can win. And, of course, history shows Papa to be correct.