Thank You, M'am
What does Roger try to steal from Mrs. Jones
Her pocketbook
Why is Bob waiting there?
He is waiting to meet his old friend Jimmy after 20 years.
Who is the narrator?
Joe
What point of view is the story written in?
First-person
What is the series of events that tells a story?
Plot
What does Roger want to buy with the money?
Blue-suede shoes.
Where is Bob waiting at the beginning of the story?
Outside a hardware store.
What holiday is the story centered around?
Mother’s Day.
What character flaw does Katrin demonstrate?
Pride.
What is the perspective or angle from which a story is told?
Point of view.
How does Mrs. Jones try to change Roger?
She teaches him a life lesson about making better choices.
Why did Bob travel west?
To get rich/claim his fortune.
What gift does Nick buy for their mother?
A scrubbing pail.
What causes Katrin to realize how selfish she has been?
Her mother sells the brooch to make Katrin happy.
What is first-person point of view?
A point of view in which the author is one of the characters and refers to himself/herself as “I.”
What is Mrs. Jones’s full name?
Luella Bates Washington Jones.
What rhetorical device is frequently used throughout the story?
Foreshadowing.
What gift does Joe buy for their mother?
A comb.
Who tells Katrin she should be thankful for her mother’s gift?
Nels, her brother.
What is a hint about events that will happen later?
Foreshadowing.
What does Mrs. Jones do for Roger after catching him? FOUR THINGS
She takes him home, feeds him, washes his face, and treats him like a son.
What is the surprise at the end of the story?
The man Bob meets is not Jimmy; Jimmy recognized Bob and had another officer arrest him.
How did the brothers earn the money for their gifts?
They worked at a furniture store.
Why is Katrin’s desired graduation present ironic?
Her mother’s brooch is actually worth more.
What is a person, place, thing, or idea that means something in addition to itself?
Symbol.
What does Mrs. Jones give Roger at the end of the story?
$10
What does the “Big Joe” restaurant symbolize?
It was torn down just as Bob and Jimmy’s friendship had fallen apart.
How does their father lighten the mood when things become stressful?
He makes a joke out of the stressful situation.
What does the cup of coffee symbolize, and what is the story's theme?
The coffee symbolizes growing up, and the theme is that family matters more than money.
What is a plot development that violates the reader’s expectations?
Plot twist.