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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. What does the woman say that she did to get things she wanted when she was young?

2. What does the woman tell the boy she hopes he can do from now on before she walks him out of her room?

3. What does the woman cook for herself and the boy to eat?

4. What type of home does the woman live in?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the woman try to relate to the boy after he washes his face in her room?

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

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

4. 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?

5. What does the boy offer to do for the woman while she prepares their supper?

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

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

8. What does Mrs. Jones tell the boy to do while she makes them something to eat?

9. In what ways does Mrs. Jones show the boy kindness as he gets ready to wash his face?

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

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 describing the imagery used in “Thank You, Ma’am.” Indicate examples of imagery in the text and identify possible meanings.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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