Sketch the character of Roger.
Roger was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy who had nobody at home to look after him. His blue jeans and tennis shoes, his frail and willow-wild look were signs of poverty. As a child, he naturally had his desires-he wanted things which he could not afford. Finding no other way to achieve them and having no one else to teach him right from wrong, he took to stealing to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes. His chance-meeting with Mrs Jones helped him perceive life in a different way. He got remoulded into a mature boy. His transformation is evident when he refrained from running away through the open door, or when he did not even try to have a look at Mrs Jones’ purse which was laid unguarded before him. This change proved that Roger was not a born criminal. Circumstances had led him to walk along the wrong path. This inner goodness which had been subdued for a while was brought to the surface by Mrs Jones. He was amazed at the kindness of the lady and was moved by her motherly affection towards him. Despite wanting to express a whole lot, he just managed to thank her before she shut the door and he never got to meet her again.
“…and shook him until his teeth rattled.” Who is mentioned as “him'”? Who shook him? Why was he shaken?
In the quote mentioned above, Roger is referred to as “him”.
Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones is a large woman shook frail Roger easily.
Roger tried to snatch the purse of Mrs Jones but failed in his attempt to do so. Mrs Jones turned around and kicked him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter. Then she reached down, picked the boy up by his shirt front and shook him until his teeth rattled. For this reason, Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones shook Roger.
“I’m very sorry, lady, I’m sorry,”—Who said this to whom? Was the speaker really sorry? Why did he apologise?
“You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong.”-Who speaks to whom? 35 Did the speaker manage to teach what he/she claimed to teach? Give reasons for your answer.
“I would teach you right from wrong.”-Who said this, to whom and when? How did the speaker transform the person spoken to here?
“When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.”-Why do you think the woman would prove to be unforgettable for Roger and what kind of a person would he remember her as?
“Sweat popped out on the boy’s face and he began to struggle.”-When did sweat pop out on the boy’s face? Why did he struggle? What next happened to the boy?
“You gonna take me to jail?”-Who said this? Why did the speaker think so? Was the speaker eventually taken to jail? If not, why?
“I wanted a pair of…shoes.”-What reply did the speaker get and how did he react?
“You could of asked me.”-What did the speaker expect to be asked? What light does it throw upon the character of the speaker?
“He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run!”-Where do these lines occur? Who is the speaker? Who is he’? Why didn’t he run?
“I have done things, too,”—Who said this to whom? What do you think the speaker has done? Why did the speaker say this to the listener?
“I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.”- How does the utterance bridge the gap between the two characters?
“There was another long pause.”-What was the reason for this long pause? Was there any other pause previously? If yes, state the reason for that pause.
“There was a long pause. A very long pause.”-Bring out the significance of pause’.
“The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now.”-Why didn’t the woman watch the boy anymore?
“Do you need somebody to go to the store,… ?”-Who is the speaker? To whom did the speaker say this? Why did the speaker want to go to the store? What did they have in supper?
“And he did not want to be mistrusted now.” Who is referred to as ‘he” here? Whose trust did he want to win? Why didn’t he want to be mistrusted?
“Now, here, take this ten dollars…”-Who said this? Why did the speaker offer ten dollars? How did the speaker advise the person spoken to? What was the reaction of the person spoken to?
“Eat some more, son,…”-Who is the speaker? What is offered by the speaker to the listener? What picture of the speaker’s character is revealed in this line?
