literary analysis: conflict

There is no story without plot, and there is no plot without

A Fascinating Journey
conflict. A story’s plot centers on conflict, or the struggle
As a child being
between opposing forces.
raised by his
• An external conflict is a character’s struggle against an grandmother in
outside force. For example, a character may struggle Lawrence, Kansas,
against nature or against another character. Langston Hughes
• An internal conflict takes place inside the character. began a lifelong
For example, a character may struggle between wanting exploration of
something and knowing that taking it is wrong. literature and blues
music. He later
Stories often contain more than one conflict. As you went to Columbia Langston Hughes
read “Thank You, M’am,” look for examples of both types 1902–1967
University, worked
of conflict. in hotels, and traveled the world as a
cook’s assistant on freighters. Hughes
reading skill: make inferences was first recognized as a poet while
When you make an inference, you use your reason and working as a busboy. He left his poems
experience to guess at what a writer doesn’t say directly. at a table where the poet Vachel
Combining clues in a passage with your own knowledge Lindsay was dining. Lindsay promoted
helps you understand what characters are feeling and the young poet’s work, and Hughes’s
career was launched. Langston Hughes
thinking. As you read “Thank You, M’am,” make inferences
went on to become an influential
to better understand the characters. Record your inferences
writer of the 20th century.
on a chart like the one shown.
The People’s Poet After being
Detail About Character What I Infer discovered, Hughes went on to write
Mrs. Jones holds Roger but Mrs. Jones is trying to decide novels, short stories, and plays as
lets him stoop to pick up whether to trust Roger. well as poems. Hughes’s work shows
her purse. a special understanding of everyday
people—people who may not be
famous or rich but whose lives are
vocabulary in context inspiring and valuable nonetheless.

The following words helped Langston Hughes write a story more about the author
For more on Langston Hughes, visit the
about a boy facing a serious conflict. To see how many words Literature Center at ClassZone.com.
you already know, use them to complete the sentences.

word barren frail mistrust presentable

Background
list Harlem “Thank You, M’am” takes
place in Harlem, a section of New
York City. In the early 1900s, Harlem
1. Don’t _____ him; he will keep his promise.
attracted many African-American
2. Because he was _____, the hard work tired him . writers. The stimulating community
3. The _____ room was a source of loneliness. had a deep influence on their work.
4. He wanted to look _____ for the assembly.

thank you, m’am 63