From the beginning, Roger proves that he has the capacity to change and has been caught in the middle of a horrible decision which he comes to regret. After trying to mug Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, he doesn't really try to resist her efforts to drag him to her house. He also uses kind manners and treats her with respect in addressing her after his attempt at mugging her fails.

Once inside her home, Roger realizes that he can choose to flee:

After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run!

But he doesn't run. Instead, he follows the directions he's given, and even when presented with a clear opportunity to take the money he'd tried to originally steal, Roger refrains from doing so:

The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day-bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.

Because Mrs. Jones shows concern and kindness for this young boy whom she does not know, Roger doesn't want to inflict any further harm on her. He respects her and her efforts in feeding him and trusting him—particularly after the stunt he's pulled. Mrs. Jones helps Roger to understand that everyone makes mistakes, and she confesses that she's made her share of them:

I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if he didn’t already know.

Mrs. Jones offers Roger kindness, generosity, and trust, and then she actually gifts him the money he originally tried to steal from her. Roger does not want to be mistrusted because he now understands that his actions have consequences, and he can choose a better path—one that doesn't harm other innocent people. Although he never sees her again, it's easy to imagine that this evening transforms Roger into a young man who respects himself enough to avoid such trouble in the future.

There is enough evidence to suggest that Roger has changed his ways after his enlightening interaction with Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Shortly after Mrs. Jones drags Roger to her home, she lets him go and instructs him to wash up in the sink. Instead of running out the front door, Roger decides to wash his face. Mrs. Jones proceeds to sympathize with Roger and does not lecture him about his actions. Instead, Mrs. Jones fixes Roger something to eat and leaves her purse on the day-bed, which is within Roger's reach. Roger reveals a dramatic change in character by purposely sitting on the far side of the room in an attempt to gain Mrs. Jones's trust. As a tough, street-wise teenager, Roger would typically not think twice about snatching her purse and running out the door. However, Roger shows his change of character through his desire to gain Mrs. Jones's trust.

While they eat together, Mrs. Jones does not ask Roger embarrassing questions and even cuts him a slice of cake before giving him ten dollars to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. Before Roger leaves, Mrs. Jones request that he behave himself from here on out and Roger is too overwhelmed to express his gratitude for her hospitality and understanding. Roger's profound experience is memorable and his character seems to change by the end of his interaction with Mrs. Jones.

Roger has undoubtedly changed by the end of the story. He's responded well to Mrs. Jones's tough love, so much so that he no longer contemplates snatching her purse—even though he has a clear opportunity to do so.

If Roger really were the hard-core street hoodlum that Mrs. Jones originally took him to be, then he'd almost certainly have another go at stealing her purse or something else of value in the old lady's apartment. The fact that he doesn't is a sign of how much he's changed. He's come to realize how important it is to earn someone's trust; one gets the impression that this is the first time in his short life that he's ever really understood this. And having earned Mrs. Jones's trust, he's not about to compromise it.

Certainly, there are indications that Roger experiences a change of attitude about stealing by the end of the story, "Thank You, Ma'am." Because Mrs. Jones is understanding of his neglect and empathizes with him as a person who has committed shameful deeds, Roger is moved by what she teaches him.

One key passage which underscores the inference that Roger has changed his attitude about stealing occurs after Mrs. Jones kindly takes him to her home and cooks a meal for him. As she stands at the stove behind a screen, Mrs. Jones seems unconcerned about her purse which she has left on the day-bed. Roger worries that she may think he wants to steal it yet, so he moves to the other side of the room

...where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.

This passage suggests that Roger has changed his attitude; he does not want to be thought of as a thief, and wants to be trusted. Later, when Mrs. Jones escorts him to the door and says, "Behave yourself, boy!" that Roger is so moved by her acts of charity toward him that he could not even murmur "Thank you, ma'am" also illustrates his change of heart.

  The boy wanted to say something other than, "Thank you, m'am," to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but although his lips moved, he couldn't even say that as he turned at the foot of the barren stoop and looked up at the large woman in the door.

What does Roger look like in "Thank You, M'am"?

In "Thank You, M'am," Roger is a young boy who tries to snatch the purse of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. She surprises him by scolding him for his efforts and then takes him to her house for some instruction regarding his behavior.

Roger is a young boy. As Mrs. Jones initially appraises him after the attempted mugging, she notes that he "looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen." He also isn't a strong or overpowering young man. Instead, Mrs. Jones considers his appearance "frail and willow-wild." This description presents Roger as perhaps undernourished and weak. Comparing him to a willow tree is a reminder of the tree's drooping and thin branches. This term also conjures the term "weeping willow," which makes Roger's appearance seem ultimately sad and forlorn.

Roger wears "tennis shoes and blue jeans," which are practical attire, especially for a boy who intends to rob an elderly lady. As Mrs. Jones tells him that he is never going to forget her after she gets through with him, sweat pops out on his forehead, indicating his general sense of nervousness about his predicament.

Roger also has a dirty face, which Mrs. Jones takes note of when she takes him inside her house. She insists that he clean up before they share a meal together.

Mrs. Jones takes note of all these details as she tries to offer Roger some practical advice, encouraging him not to continue a life of crime. She realizes that he lacks the guidance at home that young boys need in order to make good decisions, and this guides her sense of empathy in speaking with Roger.

In "Thank You, M'am," where do you see a turning point for Roger in terms of his character?

There are two turning points for Roger's character in "Thank You, M'am." The first is where Roger chooses to stay with Mrs. Jones and wash his face as told to do: "Roger looked at the door—looked at the woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink." The second turning point provides the resolution of the story where, when Mrs. Jones and he are both overcome with emotion, he can manage only to say "Thank you" as she ushers him out onto her "barren stoop" and the street.

"Good-night! Behave yourself, boy!" she said, looking out into the street.

The boy wanted to say something else other than "Thank you, m’am" to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door.

At the first turning point for Roger's character, Roger rejects running out the open door and instead chooses trusting Mrs. Jones and accepting her offer to share her meal with him. He turns from petty theft and fear and toward Mrs. Jones's compassion and care. It's as though he is thinking—or feeling—that he wishes he were her son and that she would teach him "right from wrong" and that she would make sure he had a clean face and meals to eat.

How did Roger change in "Thank You, M'am"?

At the beginning of "Thank You, M'am," Roger is a thief who preys on an older woman. Because he is fairly young and still not very physically imposing, Roger's attempt to mug Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones fails, and he finds himself being drug back to her home for a few lessons.

Roger proves that he is capable of change by allowing this older woman to take him home. Although he is fairly small, he is still young and could perhaps have evaded her attempts to capture him. Mrs. Jones uses a maternal stance to convey to Roger that he doesn't have to follow a path of crime in order to achieve his goals. She makes sure that he recognizes his physical disorderliness, offering him a place to wash his face and clean up.

Inside her home, Roger is polite, referring to her as "m'am" at various points in their conversation. He is honest with her about his situation, acknowledging that "there's nobody home at [his] house" to properly care for him. Roger also chooses to stay, ignoring the freedom he has to leave:

After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run!

Because Mrs. Jones presents a sense of maternal compassion and structure that Roger lacks, he follows her directions and remains in her home. Perhaps the moment that demonstrates his greatest change comes when Roger realizes that he could now steal Mrs. Jones's unprotected money:

The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day-bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.

Roger respects Mrs. Jones, because she has taken the time to care for a young boy who has tried to inflict harm upon her. This impresses him so much that he no longer wants to steal from her and doesn't want to lose her trust. Mrs. Jones has impacted Roger's choices through her kindness and concern.

Understanding that his poor choices lead to consequences, Roger leaves Mrs. Jones with a new understanding of how he can choose a path that doesn't lead to destruction and that doesn't harm others.

How did Roger change in "Thank You, M'am"?

When we first meet him, Roger is a young, "willow-wild" boy who is intent on snatching a purse to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes. It hasn't occurred to him to ask for the money (or if it has, he is too proud to consider it). He is unwashed and unfed. He has a home to go to, but no one there to care for him. This changes when he tries to take Mrs. Jones's purse and fails. Instead of turning him in to the police, she shakes him and takes him home with her. She gains his trust by giving him the chance to escape, but he goes to her sink and washes his face instead, as she's told him to do. By the time she's cooking dinner, he is going out of his way to prove he can be trusted. By the time he leaves, he thanks her for her hospitality and calls her "Ma'am." Thus, he changes from a disrespectful thief into a respectful, trustworthy member of society.