xdxwcRepublic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
Division of Apayao
PUDTOL VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
1st PERFORMANCE TASK
ENGLISH 9

DIRECTIONS: Read and understand the unchanging values in the VUCA (volatile, uncertain,
complex, ambiguous) world through the story “Thank You Mam” written by Langston Hughes.

Thank You, M'am

by Langston Hughes
She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails. It had a long
strap and she carried it slung across her shoulder. It was about eleven o'clock at night, and she was walking
alone, when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse. The strap broke with the single tug the boy
gave it from behind. But the boy's weight, and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his
balance. Instead of taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk, and his legs
flew up. The large woman simply turned around and kicked him in his blue-jeaned sitter. Then she reached
down, picked the boy up by his shirt front, and shook him until his teeth rattled. After that the woman said,
"Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here." She still held him. But she bent down enough to permit him
to stoop and pick up her purse. Then she said, "Now ain't you ashamed of yourself?" Firmly gripped by his
shirt front, the boy said, "Yes'm." The woman said, "What did you want to do it for?" The boy said, "I didn't
aim to." She said, "You a lie!" By that time two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look, and some
stood watching. "If I turn you loose, will you run?" asked the woman. "Yes'm," said the boy. "Then I won't
turn you loose," said the woman. She did not release him. "Lady, I'm sorry," whispered the boy. "Um-hum!
Your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain't you got nobody home to tell you to
wash your face?" "No'm," said the boy. "Then it will get washed this evening," said the large woman starting
up the street, dragging the frightened boy behind her. He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and
willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans. The woman said, "You ought to be my son. I would teach you
right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?" "No'm," said the being-
dragged boy. "I just want you to turn me loose." "Was I bothering you when I turned that corner?" asked the
woman. "No'm." "But you put yourself in contact with me," said the woman. "If you think that that contact is
not going to last awhile, you got another thought coming. When I get through with you, sir, you are going to
remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones." Sweat popped out on the boy's face and he began to
struggle. Mrs. Jones stopped, jerked him around in front of her, put a half nelson' about his neck, and
continued to drag him up the street.

When she got to her door, she dragged the boy inside, down a hall, and into a large kitchenette-
furnished room at the rear of the house. She switched on the light and left the door open. The boy
could hear other roomers laughing and talking in the large house. Some of their doors were open, too,
so he knew he and the woman were not alone. The woman still had him by the neck in the middle of
her room. She said, "What is your name?" "Roger," answered the boy. "Then, Roger, you go to that
sink and wash your face," said the woman, whereupon she turned him loose—at last. Roger looked at
the door—looked at the woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink. "Let the water run until it
gets warm," she said. "Here's a clean towel." "You gonna take me to jail?" asked the boy, bending over
the sink. "Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere," said the woman. "Here I am trying to get
home to cook me a bite to eat and you snatch my pocketbook! Maybe you ain't been to your supper
either, late as it be. Have you?" "There's nobody home at my house," said the boy. "Then we'll eat,"
said the woman. "I believe you're hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my pocketbook." "I
wanted a pair of blue suede shoes," said the boy. "Well, you didn't have to snatch my pocketbook to
Pget some suede shoes," said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. "You could of asked me." "M'am?"
The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very long pause.
After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around,
wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run,
run, run, run, run! The woman was sitting on the day bed. After a while she said, "I were young once
and I wanted things I could not get." There was another long pause. The boy's mouth opened. Then he
frowned, but not knowing he frowned. The woman said, "Urn-hum! You thought I was going to say
but, didn't you? You thought I was going to say, but I didn't snatch people's pocketbooks. Well, I
wasn't going to say that." Pause. Silence. "I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—
neither tell God, if He didn't already know. So you set down while I fix us something to eat. You
might run that comb through your hair so you will look presentable."

In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up
and went behind the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor
did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day bed. But the boy took care to sit on the
far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she
wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now. "Do
you need somebody to go to the store," asked the boy, "maybe to get some milk or something?" "Don't
believe I do," said the woman, "unless you just want sweet milk yourself. I was going to make cocoa
out of this canned milk I got here." "That will be fine," said the boy. She heated some lima beans and
ham she had in the icebox, made the cocoa, and set the table. The woman did not ask the boy anything
about where he lived, or his folks, or anything else that would embarrass him. Instead, as they ate, she
told him about her job in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late, what the work was like, and how
all kinds of women came in and out, blondes, redheads, and brunettes. Then she cut him a half of her
ten-cent cake. "Eat some more, son," she said. When they were famished eating she got up and said,
"Now, here, take these ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not
make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else's—because shoes come by devilish
like that will burn your feet. I got to get my rest now. But from here on in, son, I hope you will behave
yourself." She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. "Goodnight! Behave yourself,
boy!" she said, looking out into the street. The boy wanted to say something other than, "Thank you,
m'am," to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but although his lips moved, he couldn't even say that
 as he turned at the foot of the barren stoop and looked up at the large woman in the door. Then she
shut the door.

Thinking about the Selection

1. Respond: Do you think Mrs. Jones is wise or foolish to trust Roger? Why?
Z

2. (a) Recall: What does Mrs. Jones do when Roger tries to steal her purse?

(b) Interpret: What can you tell about her character from this action?

(c) Connect: How are her actions connected to her past experiences?

3. (a) Recall: What does Roger do when Mrs. Jones leaves him alone with her purse?

(b) Infer: Why does he do this?

(c) Compare and Contrast: How have Roger's behavior and attitude changed?

4. (a) Recall: What do Mrs. Jones and Roger talk about during their meal?

(b) Draw Conclusions: Why doesn't Mrs. Jones ask Roger any personal questions?

5. (a) Recall: What does Roger say when he leaves the apartment?

(b) Infer: What more does he wants to say?

(c) Interpret: Why can't he say more?

6. (a) Predict: What effect will Mrs. Jones's actions have on Roger's future?

(b) Make a Judgment: Does Mrs. Jones make good choices about how to treat Roger?

DIRECTIONS: After reading the story given, identify the theme/lesson of the story. Write a four-stanza poem which is
relevant to the theme. Be guided on the rubric below.
 RUBRICS FOR POETRY

Exceeding Meeting Standards Approaching Below Standards

Standards (3pts.) Standards (1pts.)
(4pts.) (2pts.)
Meaning Poem is creative Poem is thoughtful and Most of the poem is Poems appear to be
and and original. It is creative. A couple of creative, but appears to thoughtless or rushed. Work
Originality evident that the poet phrases or ideas may be rushed. This is evident is very repetitive, and ideas
put thought into their be revisited, but the in the poet's redundancy are unoriginal.
words and uniquely overall product is or use of cliches.
conveyed their ideas carefully written.
and emotions.
Sensory Vivid, detailed Clear sensory images Some use of image, idea, Difficult to visualize image or
Details images and are used to portray or emotion emotion
intensely felt ideas or emotions
emotion make the
poem come alive.
Message Message is Message is engaging Message is somewhat Message does not capture
compelling, and clear. Message engaging, but lacks nor maintain the reader's
engaging, and very achieves purpose of focus. Message attention and does not
clear. Message understanding the somewhat achieves maintain a focus. Message
achieves purpose of unchanging values in purpose of understanding does not achieves purpose of
understanding the the VUCA (volatile, the unchanging values in understanding the
unchanging values uncertain, complex, the VUCA (volatile, unchanging values in the
in the VUCA ambiguous) world. uncertain, complex, VUCA (volatile, uncertain,
(volatile, uncertain, ambiguous) world. complex, ambiguous) world.
complex,
ambiguous) world.
Grammar Proper use of A couple of spelling or The poet's intended There are numerous spelling
English spelling and grammar mistakes are meaning is confusing by or grammar errors, making
grammar is used evident, but do not several spelling or the poems difficult to
consistently diminish the meaning of grammar errors. understand. Punctuation is
throughout each the poem. Punctuation Punctuation may be used incorrectly.
poem. Punctuation is utilized when misused.
is utilized when necessary.
necessary.

Prepared by: Checked by:

MARRY JANE C. ULEP VISITACION R. ILLUSTRADO

APPROVEDD BY:

RO5HNIE P. QUEDDENG