UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA LHE 3250- TEACHING THE LANGUAGE OF SHORT STORIES LECTURER NAME : : DR.

HABSAH BINTI HUSSIN 1. TEOH YONG CUN (160749) 2. MUHAMMAD NOR AIMAN BIN MAT NOR (160772) 3. ROSE SYAFIKA BINTI MOHD KHAIRUDDIN (160746) THANK YOU MAM (LANGSTON HUGHES)

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1. Plot In the beginning of the story, the author introduced one of the characters (Mrs. Luella Bates Washington) of the story by describing her appearance. The rising action is when the boy (Roger) tried to snatch the womans pocketbook and when she kicked him in the butt. The climax of the story is when Mrs. Luella grabbed Roger into a full-nelson. The falling action is when they finish their supper; Mrs. Luella gave Roger ten dollars for him to get some blue suede shoes. The resolution of the story is when Roger left out the room saying thank you to Mrs. Luella before she shut the door and never seen each other again. 2. Theme The theme of this story is people can be transformed by love and trust more than they can be transformed by fear and punishment. In the story, Roger is a thief but when he met Mrs. Jones, his life changed because she caught him but she did not call the police or tell his parents about the incident. Instead, she treated him well and showed that she trusted him. At the end, Roger felt guilty and changed. 3. Characterizations The first character is Roger. Roger was neglected because he is alone. He also can be defined as a thief from the act of trying to snatch Mrs. Luella bag. He was also a liar mentioned in the text. However, Roger changed and felt guilty for his action. This makes him a dynamic character which is capable of changing throughout the story. The next character is Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. She was described as large and strong woman. She is respectful person. This can be seen when she asked about the boys name. She also trusted the boy by leaving her purse within his reach and the door open. She exhibited generosity by sharing her meager dinner with the boy. She also gave him ten dollars so that he can buy the blue suede shoes he desired for. She is also an independent woman who lives on her own and she worked for long hours to support herself. 4. Diction Simple, everyday words are used. The purpose is to show that we do not have to be rich or highly educated to be kind to help our own society. 5. General comments This short story has a simple plot but it is very interesting and meaningful. It is hard to find people with such a big heart like Mrs. Jones. This story shows us that kindness and attention give more lessons learned rather than punishment.