The short story "Meeting the Mugger" by Norma Fox Mazer is summarized in 3 sentences: Sarabeth gets into an argument with her mother and storms out of the house, where she is then mugged by a woman on the street. When Sarabeth returns home soaked and scratched, her worried mother and neighbors bombard her with questions. The next day at the bus stop and school, Sarabeth tells others about being mugged and shows the cut on her back from the mugger.

1. Meeting The Mugger
By: Norma Fox Mazer
By: Junior Arjun
June 18, 2008
10th Literature/Composition

2. Facts On The Author
• Norma Mazer had battles, due to the fowl language she used in her books, and
had many of her books arrested.
• She had a situation where a mother took a book from their child because it had
some profanity in it and disturbed her. This mother called the police complaining
about the book and then had the book arrested. She also then filled out a
complaint, which had the Board of Education talk to the teacher about the book
they had. The book was then taken and removed from the class.
• This also disturbed the New York Times, who called the book “superb.”
• Because of this experience, Mazer has to be aware of what she is saying and has to
censor her mind of writing books with the little profanity she used.
• She believes that it is bad for the writer, as long with the readers, because the
readers have the right to pick their own books that they want to read.
• She strongly feels that censorship will lead to dullness and a lose of imagination in
books. She feels that they have a right to their own minds and imaginations.

3. Continue on Mazer
• Mazer and her husband, who is also a novelist made a pact that they would write
an hour a day. Due to this pact they have successfully written a series of popular
books and short stories. Her second novel, A Figure of Speech, was nominated for
a National Book Award.
• She also then won a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award with her famous fiction fantasy
called Saturday, the Twelfth of October.
• Her collection of short stories Dear Bill, Remember Me? was a New York Times and
School Library Journal Notable Book. She also won many other awards like the
Christopher Medal and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and in 1982 she then received
the German Children's Literature Prize.

4. Plot
• The plot of this short story, Meeting the Mugger, is when Sarabeth gets in
an argument with her mother about things in life and then barges out the
house. While she is walking through the raining streets, she then gets
mugged by what she thought was a man but is a woman. The lady then
pushed her against a brick wall, scratching up her face, and putting a knife
to her back. Sarabeth was being mugged for her jacket that. The lady kept
pushing her and threatening Sarabeth not to move she will be hurt, while
pushing the knife against her back. Staying still, Sarabeth didn’t know what
to do but just wait. Before she knew it, the woman disappeared into the
streets with her jacket. Sarabeth then came home, soaking wet from the
rain, to a house full of worrying and panicking people. Her mother was
terrified and was asking Sarabeth all kinds of questions about what
happened, due to some scratches on her face from pressing against the
brick wall.

5. Plot
• Sarabeth’s family (her brother and mother) and friends (neighbors in the
trailer park) were all waiting for her home like some kind of gathering
party. They were all lecturing Sarabeth on how worried she had her
mother feeling and what she did was wrong. They kept asking her what
happened and why she looked so bad, but Sarabeth didn’t answer and just
kept silent. She didn’t want to tell them what happened. Sarabeth then
goes to her room to clean and dry herself up from all the rain and dirt
while everyone is leaving the house. Her mother then came into the room
lecturing on how worried she was and asking her what happened. Calming
down, her mother then tries to reason with her and makes her a tuna
sandwich with a lot of mayo just the way she likes it. Sarabeth back was
hurting so she asked her mother to look at it for her, and she then found
out that the mugger had actually cut her. Sarabeth’s mother got really
mad and wishes she was there so she could give the mugger a piece of her
mind. Sarabeth didn’t even feel sorry for the mugger, unlike her mother
who was mad.

6. Plot
• Sarabeth and her mother settled everything and then went to sleep with
her mother singing to her as always. The next morning They awoke and
Sarabeth’s mother made breakfast, but she couldn’t eat. Her mother
insisted to give her some brain food, but Sarabeth still refused. The
mother then gave her a hug as always, before she walked her to the bus
stop. Mom tried to give Sarabeth a jacket, but the only way she would
wear one is if her mother goes to the doctor to get her thigh checked of
the freckles she had on it. They both agreed and the n walked to the bus
top. At the bus stop and at school, Sarabeth constantly had to tell
everyone the story of her being mugged and showed her the cut that she
received. Later at the hospital the doctor inspected Sarabeth’s mother leg
and found out that she had cancer all in it.

7. Characters
The characters of the short story, Meeting the Mugger, is Sarabeth who is the
main character that gets mugged, Tobias (the cat), her mother (Mom), the
Mugger, Leo (Sarabeth’s brother), Pepper Rudman (the mother’s friend),
and the neighbor (Mrs. Prang).
Sarabeth is a teenager who is a stubborn girl who is always getting lectures
from her mother, but doesn’t like to listen to them.
Tobias is the cat that Sarabeth loves and adores. He always keeps Sarabeth
company and is there when she is down. He loves to jump in Sarabeth’s
lap and purrs.
Mom is one of the main characters in the story who loves to give lectures
about life and always sticks up for Sarabeth. She always tell her story of
getting pregnant at fifteen and to enjoy life while you can. At this time she
is wearing a jeans, sneakers, and a plaid shirt.

8. Characters
• Leo is Sarabeth’s brother who has bowed legs, his big handsome head,
and a big shout. He always put in his two sense whenever Sarabeth is
being lectured by her mother.
• The Mugger is also a main character in this story who mugs Sarabeth with
a knife on the streets. She looks like a man who is wearing a hooded jacket
that is half off and looks like a coyote. She had a lean, skinny frame and a
lot of hair.
• Pepper Rudman who is the mother’s friend. Her fingers are covered with
silver rings, and is wearing a long loose skirt under a black vest jacket.
• Mrs. Prang was the trailer neighbor who comes to the house when
Sarabeth is missing. She had glittery black hair and a glittery white smile.

9. Point of View.
• Majority of the story is first person. Sarabeth
is the main character, who is telling the story
about her being mugged.

10. Setting
• The setting in mainly modern in times, which
takes place in many events. The first event
occurs in Sarabeth’s house, then once she
leaves, she then gets mugged in the streets in
a rainy night. It then later takes place in the
room when Sarabeth and her mother are
having a conversation about what happened.

11. Elements of Plot: Exposition
• The exposition of the story begins in the kitchen where her mother is
lecturing Sarabeth about life, sex, and pregnancy. She then starts to tell
Sarabeth her experience of being pregnant at fifteen and that she should
make the right decisions. Although Sarabeth was doing her homework at
the time and acting like she wasn’t listening.

12. Element of Plot: Rising Action
• The main events that lead up to the climax, would have to be when Her
mother and Sarabeth get into a heated argument about the lectures that
her mother gives her. Sarabeth then gets mad and leaves the house not
knowing where she is going. That leads up to when she then gets mugged.

13. Element of Plot: Climax or Turning Point
• The climax of The Mugger would have to be
when Sarabeth is getting mugged by the
woman on the streets. Pressing her face
against the wall with the knife to her back
would also be part of the climax in this short
story.

14. Element of Plot: Falling Action
• The falling action would be when Sarabeth
goes home to her mother and all the
neighbors. They are all lecturing at the time
on what Sarabeth did was wrong and how
worried she had her mother.

15. Element of Plot: Resolution
• The conclusion or resolution of The Mugger
would have to be when Sarabeth and her
mother are in the room, reasoning on what
happened when she got mugged. Her mother
then sings to her while she goes to sleep
before school the next morning.

16. External Conflict
• The external conflict would be man vs. man or
in this case woman vs. woman. Sarabeth
struggles her conflict with the mugger, when
the mugger tries to steal Sarabeth’s jacket by
force.
• Sarabeth also has a struggle with her mother
in the beginning of the story, when her
mother lectures her about her life and the
right decisions she must make.

17. Internal Conflict
• When Sarabeth doesn’t know weather to take
her moms advice about life, or just to ignore
her would have to be the internal conflict
Sarabeth faces in the short story.

18. Themes Of The Story
• I believe that the theme of the story would
have to be, that when someone is giving you
advice you should at least hear what people
are telling you and take it into consideration.
You can’t just get made and ignore what they
are telling you, because you never know that
it may help you or prevent something from
happening in the future.

19. Literary Elements
• Image
• “”Panting, I glanced back. A guy in a hooded jacket, the hood
half off. A lot of hair. The face impressed itself on me, eyes
almost blank in their intensity” Pg.23
• The author describes the mugger in a very descriptive way, as
if I seen her with my own eyes and actually met her.

20. Literary Element
• Hero
• “Mom brought me a tuna sandwich. Lots of mayo, the way I liked it.
She sat in the rocker and watched me eat. “so what’s going on?”
she said, finally.” Pg.27
• The mom would be considered a hero because she comforts
Sarabeth when she is down and helpless, due to the tragic
experience of her being mugged

21. Literary Element
• Minor Character
• “Was he consoling me, or scolding me? Only Pepper didn’t say
anything. Her head went left, right…left, right…” Pg. 25
• Pepper Rudman would be considered a minor character
because he doesn’t do much and is mentioned very little in
the short story. He plays the role of Moms friend and just
answers with a “yes” or “no” whenever he is asked a
question.

22. Vocabulary
• Console- to alleviate or lessen the grief,
sorrow, or disappointment of.
• “Was he consoling me, or scolding me?
Pg.25 second to last paragraph

23. Vocabulary
• Famished- to suffer or cause to suffer extreme
hunger; starve.
• “I was hungry. Famished actually.”
Pg. 26 Seventh paragraph, toward the middle o
the page.

24. Vocabulary
• Forefinger- the first finger next to the thumb.
• “Oh, I know!” She showed me a hard lump on
her forefinger.”
Pg. 20 Six paragraph.

25. Connection With The Story
• I connected with the story in many ways. One
main way would have to be when I too left the
house mad, and my mother was very mad and
concerned. She was worried about me and
wanted to know where I was. Although I was
down the block, she was just as concerned as
the mother was in The Mugger.

26. Connection With The Story
• Another way that I can relate to the story, is
that my brother also puts his input and
judgment in the conversations that me and my
mother has. Like Sarabeth’s brother Leo, he is
always saying something to get her in trouble.

27. Connection With The Story
• One last important way that I connected with
the story is that I too was robbed for a prized
possession. So I know how Sarabeth feels
when she got mugged and how scared she
was. Although I wasn’t mugged, but was beat
up, I can feel her pain at the time that the
incident happened.

28. My Assessment Of the Story
• On a scale between 1-10 I would rate this
short story an eight. I enjoyed reading it with
all the descriptive language the author uses,
but the book was mainly in a woman's point
of view which lost some of my attention.