Chapter 4: The Perilous Road
a troublemaker or someone who causes problems
"Mammy and Pappy would speak out, would say nay to their oldest son joining up with such thieves and scalawags."
to search for or feel around with your hands, especially when you can’t see well.
"You better hush up that kind of foolish talk and get to grabbling up them 'taters, Chris snarled at her."
Test your knowledge of Chapter 4 with this fun and interactive quiz!
In Chapters 2-4, the reader learns about Chris’s hatred for Yankees.
Work with a partner. One person will defend Chris’s initial hatred of the Yankees, while the other will argue for understanding both sides of the conflict. Use evidence from the book and historical context to support your arguments.
When Jethro is shown siding with the Confederates, Chris feels a strong sense of familial obligation to hate the Yankees, believing them to be an imminent threat.
Chris sees the Yankees as invaders disrupting the community's way of life.
Chris witnesses the destruction of farms and the suffering of Confederate families, which he attributes to the Union soldiers.
Chris encounters Union soldiers sharing food with him, such as the ginger snaps, challenging his belief that all Yankees are cruel.
Chris sees wounded Yankees, which forces him to reflect on the pain of war, regardless of allegiance.
Jethro’s actions and discussions with Chris encourage him to see beyond propaganda and consider individual choices during the war.
Defending Chris’s Hatred: Many people in Tennessee, where Chris lives, saw Yankees as the enemy because Union soldiers raided their towns and farms, took their belongings, and caused families to suffer. It was common for communities to support the Confederate side and dislike the Yankees, so Chris's feelings make sense for the time and place he grew up in.
Understanding Both Sides:The war was hard and painful for everyone—both Yankees and Confederates. Soldiers on both sides were scared, sad, and often unsure if fighting was the right thing to do. Letters and journals written during the war show that many soldiers wanted peace and struggled with the difficult choices they had to make.