1. Unit II: Meeting Challenges
“Thank You, M’am”
By Langston Hughes

2. “Thank You, M’am” By Langston Hughes
I. Terms for Short Story
A. Theme: a central idea or message about life in a story
B. Theme of story: A lesson in kindness and trust where none would have been thought evoke hard questions all people must face---right, wrong, strangers and family etc.
C. Narrator: the speaker or character who tells the story
D. Narrator of story: first person narrator, Mrs. Jones is telling the story and participating in it
E. Plot: pattern or sequence of story
F. Plot of story: see summary
G. Setting: time and place of a short story
H. Setting of story: a Harlem community in New York City in a “bedsit” or “kitchenette” in the 1950’s at 11:00 at night

3. “Thank You, M’am” By Langston Hughes
II. Terms Continued:
A. Characterization: the process of creating memorable characters
1. Mrs. Jones = (protagonist) is brave, courageous, forward, brash, independent (indirect)
2. Roger = (antagonist) is shy, good at heart, decent, honest, didn’t run away (indirect)
B. Indirect characterization: the writer depends in the reader to draw conclusions from what the character says, does, and what others say
C. Direct characterization: the writer states the character’s traits
D. Flat character: one-sided or stereotypical character (Roger)
E. Round character: fully developed and exhibits many traits (Mrs. Jones)
F. Static character: one who does NOT change during the story (Mrs. Jones)
G. Dynamic character: one who changes or grows during the story (Roger)

4. “Thank You, M’am” By Langston Hughes
H. Conflict: struggle between two opposing forces
I. Conflict of story: Roger vs. Mrs. Jones
J. Climax: peak or high point of interest of story
K. Climax of story: Mrs. Jones took Roger to her kitchenette
L. Resolution: the solving of the conflict
M. Resolution of the story: Mrs. Jones led Roger to the front door and told him to “behave yourself, boy”

5. “Thank You, M’am” By Langston Hughes
III. Terms Continued
A. Point of view: perspective or angle from which the story is told
B. Point of view of story: the point of view is Third person omniscient
*****This story is told by a character who participates and know what each character thinks and feels (Roger and Mrs. Jones) and the pronouns “he” and “she” are used
C. Inferences: drawing conclusions based on information given
D. Inferences in story: p. 188, Mrs. Jones infers that she was like Roger once, but people can make mistakes and still live productive lives

6. “Prospective Immigrants Please Note” By Adrienne Rich (1929 - )
Poetry
“Prospective Immigrants Please Note”
By Adrienne Rich ( )

7. “Prospective Immigrants Please Note” By Adrienne Rich
Theme of poem: This poem is about moving forward or staying where you are, but taking a greater risk may offer greater personal rewards
Speaker: the imaginary voice assumed by the writer
Speaker of poem: the speaker is the poet, Adrienne Rich, who offers advice to anyone on the threshold of change—beginning college, a new career, a new town---or settling in a new country
Imagery: a word or phrase that appeals to one of the five senses
People who are different, or who make different choices are often stared at, as immigrants may be (lines 7-9) and it says to “stare back proudly”
“It is only a door” gives this image of the door (sensory language of sight) as just a door, but it offers NO guarantees; people must take personal responsibility for choosing a new life (line 21)

8. “Prospective Immigrants Please Note” By Adrienne Rich
symbol: one thing stands for or represents something else
symbol of poem: the door represents life’s unexplored possibilities
metaphor: comparing two unlike things NOT using “like” or “as”
metaphor of poem: the door is the opportunity of NEW in life, but you are ultimately responsible
free verse: no rhyme scheme, pattern, stresses, or beats
stanza of poem: a division of a three-line poem called a tercet

9. “Much Madness is divinest Sense” By Emily Dickinson (1836-1886)
Poetry
“Much Madness is divinest Sense”
By Emily Dickinson ( )

10. “Much Madness is divinest Sense” By Emily Dickinson
Theme of poem: Choosing one’s own values can produce an intense life, which is madness to the majority. Madness is defined as “originality” , “daring”, “creativity”, “irresponsibility”, “insanity” or as Dickinson says, “divinest sense”. Taking the greater risk may offer greater personal rewards. Are you true to yourself, or bending to society’s will?
Speaker of poem: the writer, Emily Dickinson
Repetition of poem: the words “much madness” are repeated for effect
Alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds to draw attention to ideas, words, to create musical effects
Alliteration of poem:
1. line 1 “m”
2. line 2 “s”
3. line 7 “d”
stanza of poem: a division of an eight-line poem called octave

11. “Much Madness is divinest Sense” By Emily Dickinson
free verse: no pattern, no rhyme scheme, stresses or beats
symbol of poem:
1. the chain (line 8) stands for society
2. “much sense” (line 3” stands for the majority’s standards of personal values and conduct
imagery of poem: (lines 7-8) highlight the image of someone in chains suffering
sensory language: “You’re…with a chain” = sound, and sight
Notes:
Those who don’t go along with the majority are considered dangerous, and are shunned or locked away from society
According to the speaker, going against the majority is considered insane

12. “This We Know” (essay) By Chief Seattle (1786-1866)
Poetry
“This We Know” (essay)
By Chief Seattle ( )

13. “This We Know” By Chief Seattle
Theme of speech: Chief Seattle raises questions of environmental issues of caring for the air, water, and land---survival as it is.
Speaker of the speech: Chief Seattle, who fears his people will vanish along with the wilderness of the land
Sensory language:
1. “freshness of air” = smell
2. “sparkle of the water” = sigiht
3. “…-shining pine needle” = sigiht
4. “…sandy shore” = touch
5. “…humming insect” = sound
6. “…ghostly reflecltion” = sight
Notes:
Chief Seattle has probably witnessed many changes brought by the government and white pioneers to realize that the disappearance of his people and land is inevitable.
Chief Seattle’s environmental issues are still raised today. He wants the people to preserve the land (parks?) as he believes that people belong to the earth, not earth belonging to the people.

14. “Hard Questions” By Margaret Tsuda (1921 - )
Poetry
“Hard Questions”
By Margaret Tsuda ( )

15. “Hard Questions” By Margaret Tsuda
Theme of poem: The price humans pay for developing the land is high—at what the cost?
Speaker of poem: Margaret Tsuda, the poet, is the speaker who feels that the development of wild land deprives people of he comfort and delight of the “wildness”.
Stanza of poem: no specific division of lines of poetry
A tercet (3)
A heptastich (7)
A couplet (2)
A tercet (3)
A sestet (6)
An octave (8)
Repetition of poem:
1. “What if…” lines 13, 16, 20
2. “I have….:” lines 14, 15, 17
3. “Does not….” Lines 22, 24
**all asking the hard questions

16. “Hard Questions” By Margaret Tsuda
free verse: no alliteration, rhyme scheme, patterns, stresses, etc.
symbol of poem: the man-made geometric parcels of land stand for natures “homemade” _____
Imagery of poem: images of sky, land, air, living things create one whole image of a wondrous, fragile world
Sensory language:
1. “…child shall cry” = sound
2. “…silence fraught with living” = sound
3. “…into neat rectangles” = sight
4. “Bale…roads” = sight
5. “…squares, clove leafs…” = sight

17. “Hard Questions” By Margaret Tsuda
Notes:
The speaker is saying that the people need to feel close to nature (lines 22-23)
Lines 1-3 ask the hard question and lines suggest what people will lose if all the land is developed as described in lines 1-3
In comparison to “This We Know” by Chief Seattle, “the wind also gives our children the spirit of life” relates to lines in “Hard Questions” –“What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men”