Final answer:
The similarity between "Thank You, Ma'am" and "Mad and the Year 1974" is found in the common themes of empathy and personal growth. They do not share the same setting or characters, making option B the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes and the poem "Mad and the Year 1974" by Nikki Giovanni, though different in form, share common themes of empathy, understanding, and personal growth. Both works explore how characters react to challenges and evolve as a result of their interactions and experiences. While "Thank You, Ma'am" offers a narrative about a young boy's encounter with a compassionate woman after he tries to steal her purse, "Mad and the Year 1974" reflects on the emotional landscape of the era with themes of social change and personal reflection.
The stories do not share the same setting, as "Mad and the Year 1974" does not specify a physical location as distinctly as "Thank You, Ma'am," which is set in an urban neighborhood. The characters in both works are also quite different, with "Thank You, Ma'am" focusing on the interaction between the young boy and the woman he attempts to rob, while "Mad and the Year 1974" does not focus on specific character interactions but rather on the mood and tone of the historical period. Therefore, the correct answer to the question of similarity between the two works is B) Common themes.