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The Road to Memphis continues the saga of the Logan family and their struggle against oppression in Mississippi in the 1940s. It is 1941, and the story is told through the eyes of the daughter, Cassie. Cassie, now seventeen, is in her senior year in school and dreaming of becoming a lawyer. Her older brother, Stacey, is living in Jackson and has bought his first shiny new car.

From the outset, it is clear that Taylor means to challenge the representation of black individuals and families as subservient and vulnerable and to replace them with ones of real people with dreams, ambitions and expectations and the determination to make these a reality.

However, it is clear that in the society in which Cassie, Stacey and their family and friends live, there are many who do not want them to succeed. Stacey's car, a symbol of white success, is vandalised and the novel is filled with instances of bigotry.

Offensive scenes, reminiscent of times when signs saying, "White only, coloured not allowed" were commonplace, abound. Over the three days which the novel spans, Cassie is caught up in racial tensions and a catalogue of events which cause her to grow up and which will ultimately change her forever.

While the racial tension is a tangible feature of the novel, Taylor does not give us a simple litany of injustices faced by these young black people and their families. The novel is set against the backdrop of the impending Second World War, and the threat it poses for the black characters mirrors that faced by their white counterparts.

In allowing her characters to face other issues, such as Sissy's pregnancy and Cassie's developing sexuality - issues common to the human condition as opposed to purely racial ones - Taylor reinforces an image of a group of people at once both vulnerable and dignified but most importantly, human.

They are a testimony to the people whose stories inspired her as a child and a timeless reminder of the essentially dehumanising nature of racism.

The novel is set in Mississippi during the period of 1939-1942. The capital city of Jackson stages most of the action of the story. The colour issue is a strong feature of this novel. The relationship between white and black people is shown through the Logans, Jeremy and Statler Aames. We hear about the bombing in Pearl Harbour towards the conclusion of the novel. It is clear that most of the young men are going to enlist in the army.

Cassie Logan tells the story. She is a coloured girl who lives in Mississippi with her brother Stacey. She is in her last year of High school. Jeremy Simms and his cousins Statler and Troy are white boys around the same age.

Statler enjoys mocking and jeering coloured people. Jeremy defends coloured people and in particular the Logan family. Statler attacks Clarence and Moe one day and Moe reacts by using a crowbar. Moe realises that he must escape to Memphis, as he will not receive a fair trial because he is coloured.

Cassie, Stacey, Clarence and Moe have a series of exciting adventures on their way to Memphis. When they reach Memphis they meet Solomon Bradley also known as the Memphis Prince who owns a large newspaper. He helps them and gives them some money. They leave Moe in Memphis where he takes a train to Chicago.

At the conclusion of the novel Clarence dies obviously from a brain tumour. Jeremy's father forces him to leave the house for helping the coloured people. He joins the army and they never see him again. The novel concludes with the references to war and the bombing of Pearl Harbour

Racial Prejudice
The theme of racial prejudice is dominant in this novel. Set in Mississippi in the years between 1939-1942, the novel traces the history of the Logan family and their various encounters with white folk. Statler Aames and his gang of white boys contribute to a lot of the strife and injustice in the novel. They try to bully the coloured folk and frequently taunt them and physically beat them up. Jeremy Simms another white boy takes a stance against this type of injustice and helps the Logan family. He is punished by his father who hates the coloured people and forced to leave his home.

Loyalty/Betrayal
The whites in the story abuse their position and behave shamefully. We are given many examples of this in the picture of Statler Aames and his white gang. The Logan family are loyal to one another and it is Moe’s loyalty to Cassie Logan, which causes him to flee to Memphis because his life is in danger from Statler.There the loyalty of another coloured person assists them and enables Moe to escape. Loyalty to the Logans costs Jeremy Simms his family. He is disowned by his own father and forced to leave his mother whom he loves and join the army at the conclusion of this story.

Hero: Jeremy Simms is a white boy who stands up against the injustice of other white people and takes the side of the coloured folk. In one sense, he is the main hero in this novel. He suffers abuse at the hands of Statler and his gang and from his own father.

Jeremy protects Moe when he gets into trouble for attacking Statler with an iron bar. He is then thrown out of his house by his father and not allowed communicate with his mother. At the conclusion of the novel he joins the army..

Moe is a hero in another sense. He stands up to the injustice of Statler and his gang. Having attacked him with an iron bar Moe is forced to go on the run and eventually escapes to Memphis.

Heroine: The main heroine of this novel Cassie Logan. She is attending her final year in High school in Jackson, Mississippi. She reacts strongly to the injustice of Statler and his gang and is a strong and defiant character.

Cassie realises that Jeremy Simms is sincere about his loyalty to the coloured folk. She spends most of her time in her Brother Stacey's car and with the boys. Moe falls in love with her, but he leaves for Chicago at the conclusion.

Villain: Statler Aames and his brothers. The white boys Statler Aames and his gang spend their time trying to antagonise and fight with the coloured kids. They hunt the Logan family and Harris is badly beaten up.

Following this incident, the Logans break up their relationship with Jeremy, as they believe he was partly responsible for the attack. Later on in the novel, Statler's gang decides to attack Clarence. Moe comes to his rescue and fights them with an iron bar. He is forced to go on the run as because of this incident.

The Logans and Statler Aames: The relationship between these two sets of people shows clearly how coloured people are treated and the injustices within the system. After the incident in Strawberry when Moe strikes Statler, Cassie and her gang decide to go to a lawyer in Jackson called Mr. Jamison. He tells them clearly how the law is an "imperfect piece of machinery and not blind to colour, not here in Mississippi. The law here is bound by race."

The Logans and Jeremy: Jeremy Simms is a white boy who enjoys the company of the Logans. They spend their time fishing in the river. Jeremy is torn between loyalty to his white cousin Statler and friendship with the Logans for much of the story.

The Logans are angered one night when Jeremy is forced to hunt Harris. After that, their friendship cools. However, Jeremy rescues Moe from danger later on. When his father discovers this, Jeremy is outlawed and forced to flee from his town and join the army. At the conclusion, he comes to the Logans to say farewell.

Cassie and Moe: Moe is more in love with Cassie than she is with him. It is Statler's insinuations to Cassie, which cause Moe to lose his temper and attack him with an iron bar. At the conclusion of the novel he declares his love for her openly, but they are forced to part and he leaves for Chicago.


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