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Thank You Ma Am Langston Hughes Analysis

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What would pop into your mind if someone tried to steal something of yours? “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes is about how a woman changes a boy. Mrs. Jones was walking home one day when suddenly a boy came up and attempted to steal her pocketbook. As scared as she was, her first reaction was to kick the boy as he fell to the ground. After contemplating back and forth between the two, Mrs. Jones took the boy to her home. She found out the boy's name and helped him in a couple ways that included washing his face, feeding him food and lending him money. Mrs. Jones changed Roger by showing him love and being a motherly character for him in mostly every way. Mrs. Jones showed Roger her love for him by washing his face. This was the first thing that she did for him. When Roger and Mrs. Jones were arguing about him attempting to steal her pocketbook, Mrs. Jones noticed that Rogers face needed to be cleaned. On page 2, Roger tells Mrs. Jones this, “There’s nobody at my house.” This is where Mrs. Jones decided that he needed care, so she took him to her house. When Roger found out that she was taking him he tried his hardest to escape from her grip because he didn’t want to go home with Mrs. Jones. After she washed Rogers face, he felt safer. …show more content…

Jones does that makes Roger feel loved is feeding him. Considering what happened before, Roger didn’t have anyone at his house to feed him. With that being said Mrs. Jones took charge again and told Roger that she was feeding him no matter what he says. (On page 2, Roger tells Mrs. Jones that he wasn’t hungry and he didn’t want anything to eat, but instead of taking his word, Mrs. Jones told him no and fed him anyway.) When Mrs. Jones told Roger that he had to eat, he felt a little bit scared because he had just met her and she should be mad at him, but he got over that feeling as soon as she brought out the food. She becomes more like a mother to Roger even though he doesn’t see

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In the short story, "Thank You, Ma'am", by Langston Hughes, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones had a very different personality compared to other characters. Mrs. Jones was the definition of "sunshine with a little bit of hurricane". She was pretty bossy to a boy named Roger. After Roger tried stealing her purse one night, Mrs. Jones kicked him in the butt and put him in an arm-lock. She didn't only stand there, she dragged him to her room and immediately told him to wash his face.

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Jones lets Roger in her house then she guides him to the bathroom. The text explains “‘Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face,” said the woman, whereupon she turned him loose—at last. Roger looked at the door—looked at the woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink.” This showed that Mrs. Jones had integrity because she's taking pride in roger and she's trying to make sure he's clean so he can feel good about himself. Just like how she feels good about herself when she looks nice.

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‘You could of asked me.’ ”. This quote shows that when his theft fails, Mrs. Jones brings the terrified Roger back to her home and demands that he get washed and eat dinner. Although Roger's history is mainly unidentified, it is clear from his many silences that he is probably ashamed of his home, his distant family, and his lack of money. He struggles to get away from Mrs. Jones at the beginning of the narrative, and lies about trying to steal something instead of accepting responsibility for his

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A central theme in the short story “Thank you Ma 'am” by Langston Hughes is a little kindness goes a long way. One act of kindness can change a person’s life forever. Her unnecessary kindness made a major impact on Roger and changes him. As the story progresses, we see that Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones shows empathy and kindness for Roger. That kindness appears to pass onto Roger near the end of the story.

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Jazmyne Nelson Dr. Rose English 101 December 11, 2017 Literary Analysis Langston Hughes’ short story entitled “Thank You Ma’am”, analyzes the interaction between Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and Roger. It presents the readers, the idea of goodness, the theme of trust, forgiveness, and kindness. Hughes is able to convert a language that is easier to understand by characterizing the context of story, advancing important themes, and using dialogue among the characters. Trust is one of themes that stood out while analyzing the short story. Though Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones has been victimized Roger worries that she won’t trust him, so he moves.

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