Transcript American History - John A. Rowland High School

Thank You, M’am
by Langston Hughes
Feature Menu
Introducing the Selection
Literary Focus: Dialogue
Reading Skills: Making
Inferences
Thank You, M’am
by Langston Hughes
Vocabulary Development
Thank You, M’am
Introducing the Story
“She was a large woman with a large purse
that had everything in it but a hammer and
nails. . . .”
from “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes
From “Thank You, M’am” from Short Stories by Langston Hughes. Copyright © 1996 by Ramona Bass and Arnold Rampersad. Reproduced by
permission of Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC.
Thank You, M’am
Introducing the Story
In “Thank You, M’am,” readers meet Mrs. Luella
Bates Washington Jones on the night a boy tries to
steal her purse. How this woman reacts to the
attempted theft might surprise you.
A Slice of Life
What makes Hughes’s characters
seem so real?
Click here to find out.
[End of Section]
Thank You, M’am
Literary Focus: Dialogue
In fiction, as in real life, what characters say can
reveal a lot about them.
To get to know the
characters in a story, pay
close attention to the
dialogue, or conversation
between characters.
Thank You, M’am
Literary Focus: Dialogue
As you read “Thank You, M’am,” notice what the
characters say to each other—and what they don’t
say. Then, decide what you think of them.
“Your face is dirty. I
got a great mind to
wash your face for
you.”
Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones
“You gonna take me
to jail?”
Roger
From “Thank You, M’am” from Short Stories by Langston Hughes. Copyright © 1996 by Ramona Bass and Arnold Rampersad. Reproduced by
permission of Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC.
[End of Section]
Thank You, M’am
Reading Skills: Making Inferences
Most good writers don’t tell you directly what their
characters are like. Instead, you have to make
inferences about characters based on what they
say and do.
Observations of
characters’ speech
and actions
Prior experience
with people and
situations
Inference
about a
character
Thank You, M’am
Reading Skills: Making Inferences
After you read “Thank You, M’am,” skim through it
again and jot down clues that you think reveal
something important about the characters.
• Pay close attention to character’s actions and
the dialogue.
• Discuss the subtext—what characters don’t say
aloud but may be thinking, feeling, or
communicating without words.
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