Thank You, M’am
by Langston Hughes
Feature Menu
Introducing the Story
Literary Focus: Character and
Dialogue
Reading Focus: Making
Inferences
Writing Focus: Think as a
Reader/Writer
Tech Focus
Thank You M’am
What life lessons change the way you think
about yourself?
Thank You, M’am
Introducing the Story
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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
It’s late at night when a boy runs up behind Mrs.
Luella Bates Washington Jones. He grabs her purse
in an attempted robbery. How she reacts 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: Character and 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—the
conversation between
characters.
Thank You, M’am
Literary Focus: Character and 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.
Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones
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 Focus: Making Inferences
Writers often don’t tell you directly what their
characters are like. Therefore, you have to make
inferences about characters based on what they
say and do.
Your prior
experience with
people and situations
Your observations
of characters’
speech and actions
Your
inference
about a
character
Thank You, M’am
Reading Focus: Making Inferences
After you’ve 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 characters’ actions and
the dialogue.
• Discuss the subtext—what characters don’t say
aloud but may be thinking, feeling, or
communicating without words.
Thank You, M’am
Reading Focus: Making Inferences
Into Action: Use a character’s words or actions,
plus your own ideas, to make inferences about the
character. Complete a chart like this one:
Into Action: Character Inference Chart
Text Clue
Roger says
“yes’m” when
Mrs. Jones
first talks to
him.
My Ideas
My Inference
Although his actions are
“Yes’m” is a contraction
aggressive, Roger is
of “Yes” and “Ma’am,”
+ and “Ma’am” is a term
= polite.
of respect.
[End of Section]
Thank You M’am
Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer
Find It in Your Reading
Notice how Hughes uses dialogue to bring
characters to life.
“If I turn you loose, will you run?” asked the
woman.
“Yes’m,” said the boy.
“Then I won’t turn you loose,” said the woman.
She did not release him.
As you read, pay close attention to the story’s dialogue. Take
special note of dialogue that reveals information about each
character.
[End of Section]
Thank You M’am
TechFocus
As you read this story, think about how the
dialogue might sound if you were to speak the
characters’ lines.
Would the characters
sound the same ten years
from now?
Why or why not?
[End of Section]
Vocabulary
Thank You M’am
Vocabulary
permit v.: allow.
frail adj.: thin and weak; delicate.
barren adj.: empty; deserted.
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
If you permit something, you are giving permission
or consent, allowing it to happen.
According to the sign,
what is not permitted in
this park?
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
Ana’s parents would not permit her to go to the
dance after they saw her report card.
What did they see on her report card?
a. an improvement over last
term’s grades
b. a decrease in her grades
c. an encouraging comment
from her teacher
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
Ana’s parents would not permit her to go to the
dance after they saw her report card.
What did they see on her report card?
a. an improvement over last
term’s grades
b. a decrease in her grades
c. an encouraging comment
from her teacher
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
Frail is often used to describe the appearance of
someone who is weak because of poor health or
age.
Which of these people looks most frail?
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
When Joe’s mother told him that his grandmother
looked very frail, he felt ______________
a. concerned; he hoped she was
feeling okay.
b. happy; he was pleased to hear
that she was doing well.
c. excited; he was looking forward
to visiting her during school
vacation.
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
When Joe’s mother told him that his grandmother
looked very frail, he felt ______________
a. concerned; he hoped she was
feeling okay.
b. happy; he was pleased to hear
that she was doing well.
c. excited; he was looking forward
to visiting her during school
vacation.
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
A place that is barren is lacking or unable to
produce life.
In what ways does this scene fit the definition?
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
Which of the following is the best example of a
barren place?
a. a garden in bloom
b. the surface of the moon
c. a forest trail
Thank You, M’am
Vocabulary
Which of the following is the best example of a
barren place?
a. a garden in bloom
b. the surface of the moon
c. a forest trail
[End of Section]
The End