Thank You Ma'am Literary Elements

In "Thank you, Ma'm", how does Mrs. Jones meet Roger?

• at school career day
  
• at a church social
• when she tries to break up a street fight between Roger and his friend
• when he tries to steal her purse

Which of the following words best describes Mrs. Jones's reaction to being surprised by Roger?

• delight
• confusion
• fear
• anger

What reason does Roger give for his action?

• He is out for kicks.
• He wants a new bicycle.
• He wants a new pair of blue suede shoes.
• He needs lunch money for school.

What do these lines show about Roger? "Ain't you got nobody to tell you to wash your face?" "No'm," said the boy.

• He is shy.
• He is neglected at home.
• He has trouble telling the truth.
• He has a good sense of humor.

What do these lines indicate about Mrs. Jones? Then it [Roger's face] will get washed this evening, said the large woman starting up the street, dragging the boy behind her.

• She is a stickler for cleanliness.
• She is a bossy woman.
• She is concerned about Roger.
• She is a professional psychic.

What does Mrs. Jones do when the boy struggles to get away?

• She jerks him around in front of her, wrestles him with one arm, and drags him up the street.
• She shouts very loudly for help, frightening the boy into staying at her side.
• She warns him that she will call the police and that they will track him down.
• She hits him over the head and knocks him to the ground.

After Mrs. Jones tells Roger that he could simply have asked for the shoes, "the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very long pause." What does this pause show about Roger?

• He is surprised, touched, and confused by her offer.
• He is growing ever more suspicious of her.
• He is so unused to washing his face that he forgets to dry it.
• He is waiting for the right moment to run out of the house.

Why does Mrs. Jones make a point of telling Roger about the bad things she did when she was young?

• She is hoping to join Roger in a life of crime.
• She is very lonely and needs someone to talk to.
• She believes that sharing that part of her past will help Roger to trust her.
• Feeling that Roger has lied to her, she tells him a lie in return.

What is the meaning of this line from "Thank You, M'am"? He did not trust the woman not to trust him.

• Roger knows he has hurt Mrs. Jones and feels unworthy of her trust.
• Roger hopes that Mrs. will trust him so he can take advantage of her.
• Roger hopes that Mrs. Jones does not trust him.
• Roger has grown to trust Mrs. Jones and hopes that she trusts him, too.

What does Mrs. Jones mean when she tells Roger that "shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet."

• Devilish shoes burn your feet.
• People who buy shoes with stolen money will be punished.
• If you buy shoes that don't fit, they will hurt so much that it will feel as if your feet are burning.
• If you buy shoes with stolen money, your sense of guilt will make you feel as if the shoes are burning your feet.