Let The Circle Be Unbroken

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1981

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-14

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Symbols & Motifs

Cotton

The novel is set in the Deep South, where, for more than a century, cotton was integral to the South’s economy. This crop symbolizes survival and speaks to the theme of The Struggle for Economic Independence. Children are let out of school in March to help their families with the cotton crop. Cassie says, “Cotton sustained life, and no matter how greatly learning was respected, the cotton had to be planted, chopped, weeded, and picked if the family was to survive” (89).

The Logans are desperate for a good crop because government edicts prevent them from planting too much cotton. Their sharecropping neighbors face a similar dilemma. The Great Depression has driven cotton prices down, and curtailing the supply is intended to bring prices back up. While this tactic might look good to authorities in Washington, it creates a crisis for the small farmers in the South.

Of course, the planters are eager to exploit this new hardship to increase the debt owed to them by poor sharecroppers. Granger is particularly happy to capitalize on the situation to force the Logans into a state of economic dependence on him. The family strives hard to prevent that from happening. Unlike most of their poor neighbors, they have already understood the real price of taking a handout from the planters. Even if David must leave home to find work, the family must remain self-sufficient.

The Farm

Previous books in the series explain how the Logans managed to acquire a 400-acre farm. The farm is a precious symbol of family unity because it has been passed down from generation to generation. It illustrates the theme of The Importance of Unity. At multiple points in the story, the reader becomes aware of the precarious existence of sharecroppers. They depend on the goodwill of the landowner to extend them credit and keep a roof over their heads. At the story’s end, when Lee Annie displeases Granger by asserting her right to vote, he evicts her from his property without warning.

In contrast, the Logans need never fear such a fate. Their ancestors were determined to create a stable life for themselves and their offspring. The sacrifices they made to keep the property in the family demonstrate their commitment to unity. Both Mary and David already understand the importance of the farm. Each one is approached by Granger at a vulnerable moment with the promise of financial help. The Logans are united in their determination to forego the temptation to accept easy money. This is a lesson that Stacey must learn the hard way. He is lured to Louisiana by the promise of a generous wage in the cane fields, which proves to be a lie. When he returns to the farm, he declares, “I done come home […] and it’s the very best place to be” (394).

The Law

The law intrudes at multiple points in the story as a symbol of the theoretical rights of American citizens. It relates to the theme of Maintaining Separate Worlds. The trial of T. J. Avery is the first example of how a single law can be interpreted in multiple ways. Even though the evidence implicates the Simms boys in the robbery and murder, TJ is a Black youth, and this is enough for an all-white jury to convict him. The law states that an accused person is guaranteed a trial. TJ receives a trial as the law requires, but his guilt is seen as a foregone conclusion because of his race.

Another example of laws that work differently depending on race is the government mandate to curtail cotton production. The rich landowners overplant their own fields, hoping to capitalize on the government reimbursement program for surplus cotton. The fields that must be plowed up to conform to the government requirement belong to their sharecroppers, who never see a penny of the money for their destroyed crops. Again, the landowners are conforming to a government mandate but twist its implementation to benefit themselves.

Finally, Lee Annie knows that the state constitution guarantees her the right to vote. However, Mississippi requires her to pass an examination before she can exercise her franchise. What the law says and how it is carried out reinforces the separate worlds between white citizens and Black citizens in the Jim Crow era.