Thank You,

Ma’am

Langston Hughes

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“I have discovered in life that there
are ways of getting almost anywhere
you want to go, if you really want to go.

b. 1902
d. 1967

Langston Hughes
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 Literary Terms: Theme

The general message or

idea that an author
wishes to convey in a work

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 Story Themes

• Winter, Sickness, and Death

• Self-sacrifice

• Friendship

• Hard Work

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 Story Themes

Poverty
Mrs. Jones Roger
• Walking alone at • No parent figure
night • hungry
• Lives in boarding • dirty
house
• Beans and ham

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 Story Themes

• Life Lessons
– Trust
– Accountability
– Empathy
– Kindness

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 Other Themes?

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 Literary Terms: Point of View

The perspective or “eyes” or

“voice” through which a story
is told.

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 Literary Terms: POV

3rd Person Limited

mostly “fly on the wall” but slightly
in Roger’s point of view

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 Literary Terms: Symbols

A thing that represents an

idea.

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 Literary Terms: Symbols

Shoes

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 Literary Terms: Dialect

• Words or phrases that reflect

the “regional variety of a
language”
• Often includes slang

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 Dialect Examples p 16

* ain’t * I didn’t aim to

* gonna * sit you down
* could of * I were
* late as it be * fix us

Ebonics – Black English

Other Types of English?

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 Literary Terms:
Rhyme / Alliteration/ Repetition

• Words or phrases that end with

the same sound.
• Words that begin with the same
sound.
• Repeating words or phrases for
emphasis.

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 “Harlem”
Langston
Hughes

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 Harlem
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore —
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over —
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net

 Harlem
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore —
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over —
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net

 Harlem
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore —
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over —
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net

 If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking
Emily Dickinson

If I can stop one Heart from breaking

I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one life the Aching
Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain.

Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net

 If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking
Emily Dickinson

If I can stop one Heart from breaking

I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one life the Aching
Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain.

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 Review Idioms

• Get through with

• Make a dash for

• Set the table

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Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net
 Who?

• Roger

• Mrs. Jones

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 When / Where?

• 1950s

• Any Large City in

America
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 What / Why?

• Theft occurs

• Roger wants something

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 Understanding the story

• How old is Roger? Mrs. Jones?

How does Roger get caught by
Mrs. Jones?

• Why does Roger tell her the

truth about running? Why did
Roger try to steal the purse?

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 Understanding the story

• How does Mrs. Jones feel about

Roger? Is she angry at him?
Does she like him?

• Why does she take him home?

How does she treat him at
home?

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 Understanding the story

• How does Mrs. Jones treat

Roger initially? How does this
behavior change?

• Find sentences that demonstrate

that Mrs. Jones understands
Roger very well.

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 Understanding the story

• What kind of details does

Hughes use in the description of
Roger? Of Mrs. Jones?

• Why does Mrs. Jones give Roger

the money? Does this action cost
her anything?

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 Understanding the story

• Do you think Mrs. Jones’ actions

changed Roger’s life?

• Would you have done what Mrs.

Luella Bates Washington Jones
did?

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 For More Information

Email Mrs. C
ccoleman@clmn.net

Visit Coleman’s Classroom

www.clmn.net

Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net