Let's have one last look at some of the signposts that will help us thing about the story?

You should have your copy of the story open so you can add annotations.

You make the same annotations I am making!

Add some that you notice. If you notice there is a part with no annotations, look for a signpost, highlight, and annotate!

All of the annotations we made came from student thinking, and I even had a student notice something I had never noticed before! And I have used this story for years!

Here is your Character Development Prompt:

How is Roger affected by his encounter with Mrs. Jones in Langston Hughes' "Thank You, M'am"?
Capture your first thoughts on your doc

A change in a character will not always be total and complete. Change could look like any of these or more:

Character changes at a precise moment.
Character does not change.
Character changes slowly over the course of the story.
Character recognizes the need for change, but hasn't changed yet.
Character is beginning to change in some way.
The story suggests future change in the character.

How can you tell if a character has changed? Often, the change will not be described or explained, but SHOWN by the author. How do they SHOW?

Different behavior
Different words
Different choices
Other characters notice a difference

We think through this question by thinking through the story!

What is Roger like at the start of the story? What words would you use to describe him? Pay attention to what he does, what he says, and what others say about him.
What is he like in the end? What words would you use to describe him? Pay attention to changes (even slight ones) in what he does, what he says, and what others say about him.
Where is the turning point (or the chain-of-events) that causes him to change? What is the event (or events) and WHY do they cause him to change? It may be a contrast and contradiction that you noted before.

The more ideas you write and think about, the more choices you will have for your final statement.

Writing your statement without going through the look-back-and-think process may result in less clarity or accuracy in your response.