After You Read Response and Analysi: Reading Check 1. Why was Harrison put in jail, and what happens to him at the end of the story? Exploring the Themp Thinking Critically On Your Own 2, Review your responses to the questions that appear in the side margins of the story. What details about In the rest of this collection, you'll Harrison's appearance and actions make him seem likea__read about the experiences of superhuman character, the kind you might find in characters and people who are on comics or movies? Do you think Harrison, like many their own in some way. As you ‘other superhuman characters, wants to save people read each selection, think about from evil, or do you think his motives are not so pure? how being on their own affects 3. In your Quickwrite notes, you jotted down your these individuals. thoughts about the pressures people feel to conform. In this story, how has the government tried to eliminate competition and make everyone the same? What details in the story make us infer, or guess, that all does not work very smoothly in this society in which everyone is “equal every which way"? 2 4, Think about how the collection theme “On Your Own” relates to this story. What attitudes about equality is Vonnegut mocking in the story? (Consider, for example, the character of Hazel and the comments she makes.) In your opinion, what statement is he making about individuality? Extending and Evaluating 5. What is the difference between believing that all people are equal under the law and believing that all people are the same! 6. Technology is now more a part of people's lives than ever before. Do you think this, story has something to say to us today about the role of technology in our lives? Explain your answer. ‘Skills Analyze how character traits are revealed through appearance, words, and actions. Diderot (1989) by Nam June Paik (1932-2006), Mix-No Metals, (video sculpture—twelve antique television cabinets, twelve color television monitors. two laser disk players and books). 120.1 x 72 in. Photo GChristie's mages Limited 1998. Harrison Bergeron 107Before You Read Thank You, M’am Literary Skills Understand how character traits are revealed through dialogue. Reading Skills ‘Make inferences. INTERNET More About Langston Hughes. Keyword: LET 9-2 108 roe Make the Connection Quickwrite & There's a saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” In very difficult circumstances some people do indeed get going. They have a spirit that moves them ahead—pushing them to do heroic deeds. What makes these people $0 tough, so strong in spirit? Why do they turn out to be good? Why do others go s0 wrong? Jot down your thoughts about these hard questions. Literary Focus Dialogue: What Do They Say? You get to know people best by talking with them and listening as they speak to others. In the same way, characters in a story reveal themselves to one another— and to the reader—through dialogue, or conversation. As a reader you eavesdrop on those conversations and form your own opinions about the characters. In “Thank You, M'am” you eavesdrop on a brief encounter between two strangers. By the story's end they have learned some important things about each other. Notice what these two people say to each other—and what they don’t say. Then, decide what you think of them. Reading Skills <2& Making Inferences: Educated Guesses Most good writers don't tell you directly what their characters are like. Instead, authors often allow you to make your own inferences about characters from what they say and do, When you make an inference, you use your observations and prior experience to guess about something you don’t know for sure. However, an inference isn’t just a random guess. It’s an educated guess—because it's based on evidence in the text. After you read this story, skim through it again, and jot down clues that you think reveal something important about the characters. Look at what they say (or what they don't say) and how they act. “Well, you didn't have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes.” Character « Using Primary and Secondary SourcesThank You, M’am Langston Hughes Thank You, M'am 109that had everything in it but a hammer and nails. It had a long strap, and she carried it slung across her shoulder. It was about eleven o’dlock at night, dark, and she was walking alone, when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse. The strap broke with the sudden single tug the boy gave it from behind. But the boy’s weight and the weight of the i was a large woman with a large purse purse combined caused him to lose his balance. Instead of taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk and his legs flew up. The large woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue- jeaned sitter. Then she reached down, picked the boy up by his shirt front, and shook him until his teeth rattled. After that the woman said, “Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here” She still held him tightly. But she bent down enough to permit him to stoop and pick up her purse. Then she said, “Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?” Firmly gripped by his shirt front, the boy said, “Yes'm.” ‘The woman said, “What did you want to do it for?” The boy said, “I didn’t aim to.” She said, “You a lie!” By that time two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look, and some stood watching. “If L1urn you loose, will you run?” asked the woman. “Yes'm,” said the boy. “Then J won't turn you loose,” said the woman. She did not release him. “Lady, 'm sorry,” whispered the boy. “Um-hum! Your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain't you got nobody home to tell you to wash your face?” “No'm,’ said the boy. “Then it will get washed this evening,” said the large woman starting up the street, dragging the frightened boy behind her. He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans. ‘The woman said, “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face, Are you hungry?” “No'm,’ said the being- dragged boy. “I just want you to turn me loose.” “Was I bothering you when I turned that corner?” asked the woman. “Nom.” “But you put yourself in contact with me,” said the woman. “If you think that that contact is not going to last awhile, you got another thought coming, When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.” Sweat popped out on the boy's face and he began to struggle. Mrs. Jones stopped, jerked him around in front of her, put a half nelson about his neck, and continued to drag him up the street. When she got to her door, she dragged the boy inside, down a hall, and into a large kitchenette-furnished room at the rear of the house. She switched on the light and left the door open. The boy could hear other roomers laughing and talking in the large house. Some of their doors were open, t00, so he knew he and the woman were not alone. The woman still had him by the neck in the middle of her room. She said, “What is your name?” 110 Character « Using Primary and Secondary Sources.“Rogers” answered the boy. “Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face,’ said the woman, whereupon she turned him loose—at last. Roger looked at the door—looked at the woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink. “Let the water run until it gets warm,” she said, “Here's a clean towel.” “You gonna take me to ja bending over the sink. 2” asked the boy, Digestive Systern (1989) by James Romberger. Pastel on paper (57” x 60°). sR aif jo uoWsuued Aq paonpordoy, “Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere,” said the woman. “Here [ am trying to get home to cook me a bite to eat, and you snatch my pocketbook! Maybe you ain't been to your supper either, late as it be. Have you?” “There's nobody home at my house.” said the boy. “Then we'll eat,” said the woman. “I believe you're hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my pocketbook” Thank You,M’am 111“Lwant a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy. “Well, you didn't have to snatch my pocket- book to get some suede shoes,” said Mis, Luella Bates Washington Jones. “You could've asked me.” “M’am?” ‘The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very ong pause. After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do, dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall, He could run, run, run, rin! The woman was sitting on the daybed. After a while she said, “I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.” There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned, not knowing he frowned. The woman said, “Um- hum! You thought I was going to say but, didn't you? You thought I was going to say, but 1 didn't snatch people's pocket- books. Well, wasn’t going to say that.” Pause. Silence. “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if He didn't already know. Everybody's got something in common. So you set down while I fix us something to eat. You might run that comb through your hair so you will look presentable.” In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse, which she left behind her on the daybed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room, away from, the purse, where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman nor to trust him. He coal “ He ee run, run, Fun, And he did not want to be mistrusted now. “Do you need somebody to go the store,” asked. the boy, “maybe to get some milk or something?” “Don’t believe I do,” said the woman, “unless, you just want sweet milk yourself. I was going to make cocoa out of this canned milk I got here.” “That will be fine,” said the boy. She heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made the cocoa, and set the table. ‘The woman did not ask the boy anything about where he lived, or his folks, or anything else that would embarrass him. Instead, as they ate, she told him about her job in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late, what the work was like, and how all kinds of women came in and out, blondes, redheads, and Span- ish. Then she cut him a half of her ten-cent cake. “Eat some more, son,” she said. When they were finished cating, she got up and said, “Now here, take this ten dol- lars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s—because shoes got by devilish ways will burn your feet. | got to get my rest now. But from here on in, son, | hope you will behave yourself” She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. “Good night! Behave yourself, boy!” she said, looking out into the street as he went down the steps. The boy wanted to say something other than “Thank you, m’am” to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but although his lips moved, he couldn't even say that as he turned at the foot of the barren stoop and looked up at the large woman in the door. Then she shut the door. ll ram Character + Using Primary and Secondary SourcesMeet the Writer Langston Hughes A Lonely Child Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was a lonely child who moved often and felt distant from his parents, who eventually divorced. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, and graduated from high school in Ohio. His father wanted to discourage his son's “impractical” dream of being a writer, so he sent him to Columbia University in New York City to study engineering. The young writer was not happy, and he left college to join the crew ofa ship that sailed to Europe and Africa. Eventually Hughes graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, but to support his writing, he worked at a variety of jobs: The man who was later known as one of the great ‘originat voices in American literature was also a cook, sailor, beachcomber, launderer, doorman, and busboy. Although Hughes traveled to many parts of the world, he is chiefly associated with Harlem, in New York City, where he participated in the great flowering of African American art and writing known as the Harlem Renaissance. His most creative work was done at his typewriter near a third-floor rear-apartment window over- looking a Harlem backyard. You can easily imagine this setting as his inspiration for “Thank You, M’am.” Although he wrote stories, Hughes is probably best known as a poet, In an early collection of his poems, he wrote: 66 | have felt that much of our poetry has been aimed at the heads of the highbrows, rather than at the hearts of the people. 99 Hughes chose to let ordinary people speak for themselves, As in “Mother to Son’ (see the Connection on page 114), his poems are often written in dialect, and many include stang—his speakers say what is on their minds, and they say it in the lan guage they use every day. For Independent Reading If you would tike to know more about Langston Hughes's interesting life, look for Arnold Rampersad's very readable biography, The Life of Langston Hughes. Thank You, M'amCONNECTION / DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE In Hughes's poem “Mother to Son,” a mother is talking to her son. The poem is an example of a dramatic monologue, a poem in which a speaker addresses one or more silent listeners. During the course of a dramatic monologue, the speaker reveals important thoughts and feelings. Mother to Son Langston Hughes Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, ‘And splinters, 5 And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time Tse been a-climbin’ on, 10 And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, ‘And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you turn back, 15 Don't you set down on the steps *Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For Ise still goin’ honey, Tse still climbin, 20 And life for me ain't been no crystal stair. Proletarian (1934) by Gordon Samstag. il on canvas (48%" x 42°). ‘The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo. Ohio. ‘Museum Purchase Fund (1935.34). ESIGRED Character « UsingThank You, Mam 115,Niclas Response and Analysis ‘Stas Analyze how character traits are revealed ‘through dialogue. inferences. ‘Skits Write a letter. 116 Ger Reading Check 1. Write down the main events of this story as if you were reporting them for a newspaper. Answer these questions: + What happened? + Whom did it happen to? + When and where did it happen? + Why did it happen? Then, compare your list of events with your classmates’ lists. Thinking Critically 2. What does the dialogue between Roger and Mrs. Jones, as well as their actions, reveal about their character traits? Make a chart like the one here, showing what you infer from each character's words, silences, and actions. Mre.Jones | Roger Worde Silences Actions What they reveal 3. Ac the end of the story, what do you think the boy wants to say, other than “Thank you, m’am”? In your opinion, why can’t he even say “thank you"? 4, How does the setting of Mrs. Jones's home—her furnished room, the gas plate, the ten-cent cake, the noisy tenement—contribute to your sense of the kind of person she is? What details can your imagination add to her surroundings? 5. Compare the character traits revealed by Mrs. Jones in the dialogue in the story with the traits revealed by the mother in “Mother to Son,” Langston Hughes's dramatic monologue (see the Connection on page 114). Both women talk about difficulties in their ‘own lives. What important message is each character trying to convey to her listener? s . Look at your Quickwrite notes about what makes some people turn out to be good while others go wrong. What do you think made Mrs. Jones so good! Extending and Evaluating 7. Based on your own experience, do you believe that these events could happen as Hughes describes them? Why or why not? Literary Criticism 8. Review the biography of Langston Hughes on page 113. Do you think the way Mrs. Jones and the mother in “Mother to Son” approach life might reflect Hughes's own attitude toward life? Explain your answer. WRITING A Letter from Roger Left on his own, Roger gets in trouble at the beginning of the story. What do you think Roger will be like when he is on his own ten years after his encounter with Mrs, Jones? What might he write in a let- ter to her? Compose a letter from Roger. Write as “|.” Be sure to state the purpose of his communication after all these years. Character * Using Primary and Secondary SourcesPNiim@ CElem Vocabulary Development Synonyms: Accept No Substitutes? Although a synonym is a word that has the same or almost the same meaning as another word, synonyms are not always interchangeable. Often synonyms will have subtle but distinct shades of difference in meaning. PRACTICE Here are three words from the first paragraph of the story: large, carried, and fell. Find the sentences in which the words are used. Then, make a chart like the one below for each word, Could the synonyms work just as well in each sentence? Definition Synonyme. Substitutions Reeponse to substitutions empty; devoid of life bare, sterile He turned at the [bare/sterile] stoop. Baré could work because It can refer to a lack of objects. Sterile doean’t wark because It suggests cleanliness, not emptiness, Barren is best; it reminds me of something empty and lifeless. Grammar Link Modifiers: Precise Meanings Modifiers make your writing more specific. Notice how adjectives help you visualize those blue suede shoes that Roger wants. Adjectives (and adjective phrases) an- swer the question what kind? which one? how many? or how much? Adverbs (and adverb phrases) answer the question where? when? how often? in what way? or to what extent? The modifiers in these sen- tences from Hughes's story are single words, compound words, and phrases: 1. “The large woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter.” 2, “He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans. PRACTICE For each numbered sentence at the left, tell whether the underlined modifiers are acting as adjectives or adverbs. Then, rewrite each sentence three times, replacing the under- lined modifiers with words and phrases of your own. Each time, give Mrs. Jones or the boy a totally different appearance. (For ex- ample, you might put Roger in hiking boots and a plaid shirt) ‘When you write a description of a char- acter, use precise adverbs and adjectives. Don't overdo it with modifiers, though. Sometimes a simple word is best. + For more help, see Using Modifiers, Sacg, in the Language Handbook. Thank You, M'am ‘Steilis: Understand shades of meaning of synonyms, Grammar ‘kilts Use precise modifiers. 117Interactive Reading Model Keyword: LE7 9-2 118 informational Text LINK To “THANK YOU, M'AM” o Teaching Chess, and Life + Community Service & You ¢ Feeding Frenzy Using Primary and Secondary Sources: Whose View? Research sources generally fall into two basic categories: primary sources and secondary sources. + A primary source is a firsthand account. In primary sources, writers present their experiences, opinions, and ideas. Primary sources include auto- biographies, letters, interviews, oral his- tories, eyewitness news reports, essays, editorials, and speeches. A secondary source is a secondhand account, often based on more than one viewpoint. In secondary sources, writers summarize, interpret, or analyze events in which they did not participate. Ex- amples of secondary sources include en- cyclopedias and other reference works, textbooks, biographies, many magazine articles, and most newspaper articles. Using the Sources Follow these steps to get the most out of your sources: + Analyze. First, decide whether the work is a primary or a secondary source. Then, look for the main idea of the work. Ask yourself, “How does ‘the author support the main idea? ‘Who is the author's audience? What is the author's purpose!” Evaluate. Look for clues indicating whether the author is presenting ob- jective facts or subjective opinions. Is the factual information accurate? With primary sources especially, check the accuracy of the information by reading other sources. Evaluate the author's opinions as well. Do you agree with the author's message? Elaborate. When you elaborate, you add information, usually in the form of details. You might present your own ideas on the topic, or you might do further research. Check to see if'a secondary source has a bibliography of list of works cited. These contain other useful sources of information. Vocabulary Development mentorship (men'tar-ship) n.: advice or lessons from a mentor, or wise teacher. intimidating (in-tim'o-dat'in) v. used as adj: frightening. endeavors (en-dev'arz) n. serious attempts, efforts, or undertakings. legislation (Iej‘is1a/shan) n.: law or body of laws. bureaucratic (byoor’a-krat'ik) adj.: re~ lating to rigid government routine. undaunted (un-dén'tid) adj: not discouraged by a difficulty or setback. Connecting to the Literature Mrs, Jones in “Thank You, Mam” helps a boy who might otherwise end up on the wrong path. In the follow- ing primary and secondary sources, you'll meet people who also help others, and you'll learn about com- munity service in the process. Character * Using Primary and Secondary Sources