Thank You M Am Langston Hughes Analysis

In “Thank You M’am”, a short story by Langston Hughes, a scrawny boy named Roger unsuccessfully tries to steal a purse from a large woman named Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and instead gets dragged back to the woman’s house. Then, Mrs. Jones washes and feeds Roger a generous amount of food. Mrs. Jones took Roger home because she had the same past experience as Roger and decided to teach him a lesson so he would not turn out the same way she did.

When Roger was at the residence of Mrs. Jones, he washed his face and then Mrs. Jones revealed a guilt to Roger that she had for a long time. “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son- neither tell God, if he didn’t already know, “ Mrs. Jones said (p. 9, lines 116-118). Like Roger attempting to steal, Mrs. Jones made many unsavory actions in her past and clearly wanted to steer him away from a darker path by teaching Roger a lesson. For example, on page 6 lines, 16-20 when Roger tried to steal the purse, Langston Hughes wrote, “ After that the woman said, ‘Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here.” She still held him….. Then said, ‘Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?’” When Roger tried to steal the

Jones had a dinner of ham, lima beans, cocoa, and 10-cent cake, Mrs. Jones handed Roger something very valuable- ten dollars so he could buy the blue suede shoes he wanted. The ten dollars came with very important advice though. On page 11 lines 151-155, Mrs. Jones told Roger, “Now here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s- because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet.” Mrs. Jones meant that by stealing money to buy the blue suede shoes, he would always feel guilt and regret when wearing the shoes. Therefore, Mrs. Jones was teaching Roger a lesson by telling him the constant guilt he would have when doing things against good moral