Written assignment about the short story \"Thank you, M`am\" PDF

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Written assignment/project work about the short story "Thank you, M`am"....

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Thank You, M`am Task 6 Author, Langston Hughes: Langston Hughes was an African American, known for his famous novels and poetry’s. Langston Hughes was also known for being a social activist and he fought for the black people’s right. Langston Hughes used to write about African American people. His career started in 1921, when he published his first poem.

Setting: This story takes place in USA, 11`o clock at night in the streets. This short story takes place in USA, because Langston Hughes used to write about African American in USA. We can think that the story takes place in between 1960 and 1977, because in the end of the short story the boy tells us that he wanted some blue shaved shoes. Elvis Presley designed the blue suede shoes around these years.

Plot: This short story starts when Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones was walking down the street eleven o`clock at night. She was walking down the street when a teenage boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse. The teenage boy failed and he felt down, because off the purse weight. Mrs. Luella dragged the boy up by his shirt and pulled him up. The boy went down to pick up the pocketbook and gave it to the woman. Mr. Luella Bates Washington Jones asks this boy Roger if he is ashamed over what he did. The boy answers yes and denies that he was going to snatch the purse from her. Then she replied with telling him that he was lying and she did not believe him. She also founds out that the boy has no one at home to take care of him. The boy was scared and begged the women to be released, but he didn’t get away so easily, Mr. Luella took him with her to her house.

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Characters: Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones: Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is the main person in this novel. Luella is an African American woman, we know that because Langston Hughes used to write about African American people living in USA. She carried on a big and heavy purse on her shoulder who had everything she needed inside it. Luella has a very nice and cute personality. She does something many people would not do, she helps the young boy Roger instead of calling the police. She seems to have a big and a kind heart and wants the best for Roger. It seems like Luella is a very strong woman, because when Roger tried to escape, she held him tight and he found it hard to escape. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones experienced the same as the young boy did in her childhood. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones lives with someone, but the readers don’t know who she lived with. “The boy could hear other roomers laughing and talking in the large house. Some of their doors were open, too, so he knew he and the women were not alone”.

Roger: Roger is a young boy, and it looks like he is around fourteen or fifteen years old. We understand that in the sentence “He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans”. Roger seems to be a poor teenager, without a house or a family. He have no one to take care of him “there`s nobody home at my house”. We can see for ourselves that he is a very thin and slender boy in this sentence “But the boy`s weight and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his balance”. Mr. Luella tells Roger to wash his face in the sentence “Uhm-hum! Your face is dirty”, that can directly not mean so was his face but also that he have many sins to wash off. Even though Roger tried to steal Mrs. Luella`s purse we can see that Roger is actually a nice and good boy. He listens to what Mrs.

Written assignment

Project work

Luella had to say, and he behaves respectfully towards Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.

Theme: I think the themes in this short story is forgiveness, poverty and trust. Many people have a problem to forgive other peoples because of their mistakes. Sources:  

The story – Thank you, Ma`m by Langston Hughes Langston Hughes – The African American Poet, NDLA http://ndla.no/nn/node/19023

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