Go Tell It On A Mountain - Sum

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Part One- The Seventh Day:
1. Summary- The story starts by introducing the active role of church in John’s and his family’s life. Various activities occur on Sunday in church, such as school, hymns, and preaching. On the morning of his birthday, he wakes up to lay in bed, pondering on his past birthdays and events. He falls asleep to wake up late and head to breakfast. Roy’s hardheaded personality is introduced here through an argument with his mother. The argument was based on their father, and his abusive behavior. After breakfast, John is assigned to sweep the front room, which is just one of his many labors around the house. He takes a pause to think of what kind of birthday this is, where no one even remembers it. But his mother comes through and gives him some change to get a gift for himself, so he runs out to the city. On his way there, rage fills him and he daydreams about the white folk in the city looking at him with respect. Respect of him because he’ll own the city. Reality strikes him and he realizes that the people don’t even notice him. After using the money for a movie, he arrives back at home finding out that Roy had been in an incident. His father, aunt, and mother have a dispute and then the next day John heads to church early to open up and clean up. Him and Elisha (a brother and preacher of the church) have a talk. John is told to think about being saved, just as Elisha had been saved.

Part Two- The Prayers of the Saints:
Florence’s Prayers
1. Summary- This next chapter focuses on John’s aunt, Florence. It begins with Florence at church, she is sorry for her sin yet doesn’t remember how to pray. A few nights before, she had received a threatening message repeatedly and even saw death. The story then jumps back to her youth, where she worked as a servant-girl. She lived with her mother and younger brother, Gabriel. Florence had been a child hood friend with John’s mother, Deborah. Gabriel would be the “apple of her [his mother] eyes';; he would be sent to school, fed more, and treated more specially. For this reason, Florence would resent her brother; she wanted to learn far more than her brother ever did. The story jumps back to John and what he sees in church for a brief moment, then goes in to talk about Florence’s husband...

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... confusing chapter of the book. From what I read, it seems that John is on the threshing floor with all these emotions and events going through his head. At first he hears voices, but it’s confusing to tell whom it is coming from. The second set of voices came from above that sounds like his family. As John cries for help, his father comes to the rescue. The assistance is rejected because john does not want to be like his father. Then his father attempts to lead him up the road, but John resists. John thinks for a while and found out how the devil is toying with John. Elisha comes to the rescue by talking with John. This talk raised John’s faith and found his place before the Lord. His mother is happy and smiles, but yet John wants to make sure no one forgets. He tells Elisha, that no matter what happens, he was saved. He explains how he went to the valley and was saved. Elisha tells him that God won’t forget him, and leaves him with a kiss on the forehead. The story ends with a picture perfect scene with the sun out and all. But yet, his father does not smile at John when smiled at him, that is one thing I don’t understand about the ending.

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