Saturday, September 3, 2016

What did Mrs. Beale do when Maniac started talking street talk at home in Maniac Magee?

I believe that this question is asking about an event that occurs in chapter 15. Readers are told that Maniac Magee loved to hear the other boys "trash talk." Readers are told that Maniac loved it because it had so much spirit and soul.

Maniac loved trash talk. The words were different, but in some strange way they reminded him of church. It had spirit, it had what they called soul. Pretty soon he was talking trash with the rest of them.

Maniac, like most kids, hears the talk so much that he starts to emulate it and talk that way too. It became second nature to him, so he brought that kind of talking home to the Beale house. Mrs. Beale lets Maniac know in no uncertain terms that she is not okay with that kind of talk being spoken in her house by Maniac or anybody else. She is so bothered by that kind of talk coming from Maniac that she slaps him.

She didn't like this boy bringing the vacant lot into her kitchen, and she didn't like how it fit his mouth. So she put a stop to it right then and there and slapped that trash talking mouth.

Maniac immediately runs to her and repeats, "I love you," in the midst of his sobs. It really shows that Maniac has come to think of the Beales as his family.

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