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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does the boy say is waiting at his house?

2. What does the woman have the boy do as soon as he gets inside her room?

3. What does the woman tell the boy she was heading home to do when he tried to take her purse?

4. Who does the woman tell the boy he will always remember when she is done with him?

5. What verb is used to describe the way the woman brings the boy up the street to her house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the boy tell Mrs. Jones when she asks if he has eaten supper?

2. How does Mrs. Jones reply when the boy asks if she is going to take him to jail while he waits for the water to warm so he can wash his face?

3. What is the boy's name? What is the first thing Mrs. Jones has him do when they enter her room?

4. What does the woman give the boy before he leaves? What does she tell him?

5. Where does Mrs. Jones live? How is the place described? How does the boy know there are others in the house?

6. What does the boy do so that he can be sure Mrs. Jones trusts he will not steal from her? Why?

7. In what way does Mrs. Jones show the boy trust while she cooks them a meal?

8. How is the boy described as looking and acting while Mrs. Jones pulls him up the street toward her house?

9. What words are used to describe the way Mrs. Jones handles the boy as the takes him out the street to her house?

10. What does the boy tell the woman he wanted to buy when he tried to steal her purse? What does she say he could have done instead?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay examining the ending of “Thank You, Ma’am.” How did the ending fit into the storyline? Do you think the ending was effective? What theme might the ending represent? What might the author have done differently?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Hughes' commentary on crime and punishment in “Thank You, Ma’am.” How is this theme important to the story? How does it affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Hughes' focus on kindness and compassion as presented in the story.

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