thank you, m’am part 2 in fiction, as in real life, what characters say can reveal a lot about...
TRANSCRIPT
Thank You, M’amPart 2
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, or conversation between characters.
Thank You, M’amLiterary Focus: 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.
“Your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for
you.”
“You gonna take me to jail?”
Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones Roger
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Thank You, M’amLiterary Focus: Dialogue
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.
Most good writers don’t tell you directly what their characters are like. Instead, you have to make inferences about characters based on what they say and do.
Prior experience with people and
situations
Inference about a
character
Observations of characters’ speech
and actions
Thank You, M’amReading Skills: Making Inferences
After you read “Thank You, M’am,” skim through it again and jot down clues that you think reveal something important about the characters.
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• Pay close attention to character’s 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’amReading Skills: Making Inferences