The List of Requirements for Justice
The Rock and the River demonstrates Sam’s journey in realizing how dedication, perseverance and cooperation are crucial to bringing justice to the world, with the help of Stick. The two brothers, Sam and Stick, find their own reasons to endeavor for justice at different times. Unlike Stick who strongly pursued justice from the beginning, Sam has to overcome his fear of letting down his family and learn to see the bigger picture for justice throughout the course of the book. Magoon demonstrates how Sam changes from quitting easily to dedicating his life to bring the world equal civil rights for everyone.
In the novel, Stick manifests the theme of justice when he enlightens Sam about how cooperation is crucial to achieving civil rights. He responds to Sam’s simpleminded doubts on why Father, a pacifist, helps the Panthers, a group of violent activists, prepare for Bucky’s trial. Sam says, “It’s true! He hates violence in all its forms, but especially guns,” and tries to defend his belief that Father won’t help out the Panthers (p. 230). To Sam’s words, Stick responds, “It’s the difference between demonstrating and organizing. Between waiting for handouts that aren’t coming, or taking care of each other the way we have to. It’s the rock and the river, you know? They serve each other, but they’re not the same thing” with intensity (p. 232). Stick responds that the different methods Father and the Panthers believe in don’t matter when there is a chance that someone can be proven innocent through justice. What he conveys is that after all, the rock and the river, representing the Panthers and Father, are working as activists toward the same goals: justice and civil rights. Through Stick, the author conveys that civil rights for all races are impossible to be achieved by a single group or a person. This is important because the readers need to understand the role cooperation plays in justice.
In The Rock and the River, Sam demonstrates the theme of justice when he becomes captivated by Stick’s words about his visions on civil rights for blacks. Before Stick shares his dream about justice with Sam, he only sees working for justice as an opportunity to prove himself of his abilities and make it up to Bucky by testifying for him. As his gaze grows intense, Stick tells Sam, “The guns are an idea. Not even that, actually. They just represent an idea. It’s really about a breakfast for hungry kids and the clinic that’s going to go up in a year or so. I’m talking about people who have to wait for hours to get seen at a hospital, just ’cause they’re black, and people who never go to a regular doctor because they cost too much” (p. 231-232). Sam thinks ‘I had been so deep inside Father’s for so long that it felt good to rise above what I knew. I entered another space in that moment, as if I could see a corner of Stick’s mind that had long been hidden from me’ (p. 232). Sam’s thoughts represent a development in his own visions for justice because he starts to understand the visions that the Panthers organization rooted in. Before Stick explains about the world with civil rights for blacks, Sam only thinks of the Panthers as a violent crew who fights against discrimination. Now, he understands that they are providing necessary help to poor, weak and defenseless black people, and are fighting for the world where blacks can enjoy the same lives as the whites. Overall, the author conveys to the readers that fighting for justice requires a strong mindset. This is important to understand because, through Sam, the readers already know that approaching with a light attitude can never bring justice to the world. Therefore, Sam’s growing dedication tells the readers that he isn’t going to give up on fear and little discomfort as easily as before.
Sam and Stick, the sons of a peaceful activist Roland Childs, both choose to walk a different path from their father and fight for their own visions for justice, but at different times. While Stick chooses to be a part of the Panthers from nearly the start of the book, Sam contemplates between Father and the Panthers due to his fear to go against Father and his easily yielding attitude. The book conveys to the readers how undertaking pressure is crucial to fighting for justice. Through Stick, the author sets an example of what mindset people should be in to effectively fight against discrimination and join the Panthers. Throughout the book, Stick is forced to confront the unsupportive family. However, the neglect he receives does not stop him from violently fighting for justice as a Panther. Stick’s attitude towards his family and his determination demonstrates his earnest wish for granted civil rights. Unlike Sam, the author shows the process he undergoes in order to realize what mindset it takes to become a true Panther. Towards the beginning of the book, Sam fears to join necessary activities to do as a part of the Panthers, such as the political education classes, because he is afraid to go against Father, who doesn’t approve of the methods of the Panthers. To add on, throughout the book, the author shows how Sam easily gives up on opportunities to fight for justice if something is at risk, such as being kicked out by his family or getting proved wrong by Stick. However, towards the end of the book, he starts to understand why Stick had to leave his family and fight for the world and decides to follow Stick’s footsteps after he passes away. Though at different times, Sam and Stick both become a true Panther by the end and fight for their visions of justice.
Throughout the book, Kekla Magoon demonstrates through Sam how nothing can be achieved, if not worsen, when there is no dedication and strong personal visions to fight for justice. This lesson enlightens the readers about how people should respond to the racism left in their generations. Even though many people can now access to hospitals and breakfast, there are still innocent deaths and mistreatment originated from racism. Magoon tells us that we have to approach this matter with serious attitudes and cooperate as a whole in order to fully let racism go from the world.
