What literary devices are used in "Thank You, M'am"?

Literary devices are the tools an author uses--such as foreshadowing, imagery, hyperbole, characterization, and metaphor, to name a few--that provide the reader with details and bring the text to life.

In "Thank You, M'am" Hughes expertly uses many literary devices to capture the encounter between Roger and Mrs. Jones.

To bring the characters immediately to life and engage us in the story, Hughes starts the story with a characterization and conflict. Woven together in the...

Literary devices are the tools an author uses--such as foreshadowing, imagery, hyperbole, characterization, and metaphor, to name a few--that provide the reader with details and bring the text to life.

In "Thank You, M'am" Hughes expertly uses many literary devices to capture the encounter between Roger and Mrs. Jones.

To bring the characters immediately to life and engage us in the story, Hughes starts the story with a characterization and conflict. Woven together in the first paragraph of the story, these devices invite us quickly into the world of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.

"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..."

In these words Hughes provides a brief but effective characterization of Mrs. Jones as a powerful, imposing, and fearless figure. Right away the author moves on to create a conflict when Roger dares to try and steal Mrs. Jones' purse, a device that draws the reader in, engaging him or her with the characters.

Lastly, along with characterization and conflict in the first paragraph of the story, the author provides the reader with effective imagery. The scene in which Roger attempts to take Mrs. Jones' purse is so graphically described that the reader immediately paints a picture of the confrontation in his or her mind.

"The strap broke with the single tug that the boy gave it from behind. But the boy's weight and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his balance...the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk and his legs flew up."

Throughout the remainder of the story, Hughes effectively uses other literary devices that allow the reader to effectively experience Roger's encounter with Mrs. Jones.