The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi

Thompson takes care to detail the impacts of the crime on Till’s family and friends. How does The Barn examine the nature of trauma and grief?

Thompson emphasizes the many connections among people and geographic places in the Delta. What is the wider significance of these geographical and familial connections in the text?

The trial of Till’s murderers reflected the wider systemic discrimination against Black Americans. How did the trial expose some of the wider societal biases, assumptions, and/or power dynamics that were at play?

How does Thompson place Till’s murder within the wider context and history of the civil rights movement? What does Till’s murder reveal about the political and social events that preceded it, and how did it influence what came after?

Thompson’s story is about an infamous crime, but it is also a story of courage and hope. How does Thompson explore the nature of resistance? How did different figures in the story resist and fight for change?

Thompson speaks of how there were divides not only between white Americans and Black Americans in Mississippi at the time but also between rich and poor white people as well. How does Thompson analyze the nature of this divide? What does his analysis suggest about the intersection between economic and racial forms of oppression?

Compare and contrast the murder of Till and a more recent event involving the murder of a Black American, such as the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 or that of George Floyd in 2020. In what ways are the two crimes different or similar in terms of their wider social and political significance?

Analyze the significance of the book’s title, The Barn. How does the barn function as both a real place and a key symbol in the text? How does it embody the text’s key themes and ideas?