"R. W. and Melvin," whispered T. J., "they hurt me bad." He looked up, expecting sympathy. But our faces, grim behind the light Stacey held, showed no compassion. T. J.'s eyes dimmed, then, undoing the buttons to his shirt, he pulled the shirt open and stared down at his stomach.

—Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,
Mildred D. Taylor

What theme is T. J. realizing in this passage?

A real friend would never hurt you.
New friends are always there for you.
Old friends will always help you.
New friends always cause trouble.

How does crane's depiction of the way information was spread in the nineteenth century affect the novel? crane seeks to use the novel as a way to criticize the journalists of the time for how they glorified war as a means of union propaganda. by depicting the extent to which newspapers were circulated, crane seeks to expose the lack of unbiased reporting at the time. by giving newspapers a major role in the novel, crane seeks to make a connection between the increasing role of the military in national affairs and the decline of farming. crane captures the power of journalistic reports at a time when it was the primary means of transmitting information to a broad audience by showing its influence on henry.