Thank You, M'am

When one treats others with respect and compassion, it is more impactful than derision and judgment. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones treats the boy who tries to steal her purse, Roger, with care...

There are two characters in this great story by Langston Hughes. The first is Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, and the second is her would-be assailant, Roger. The first thing we learn about...

In the story, Roger is much younger than Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and lacks a support system, which is why he is dirty, unfed, and desperate enough to try to steal Mrs. Jones's purse....

As a result of her behavior throughout the story, Mrs. Jones is revealed to be a strong, compassionate, empathetic, and generous woman who genuinely cares more about Roger’s well-being and...

Mrs. Jones treats Roger with kindness and compassion because she sympathizes with his difficult situation and knows firsthand the hardships of poverty he is experiencing. When Mrs. Jones grabs...

The culture in which we are raised affects all of our decisions, one way or another. We cannot identify exactly what sort of culture Mrs. Jones and the boy in this story have been raised in,...

In Langston Hughes's celebrated short story "Thank You Ma'am," Roger is a young African American teenager who does not have enough money to buy a new pair of blue suede shoes and attempts to rob...

The primary conflict in Langston Hughes's short story "Thank You, M'am" is considered a man versus man conflict between Roger and Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. This conflict takes place at...

Nowhere in this short story does Langston Hughes provide us with specific information about the time in which these events play out, or where they play out. If you read between the lines, however,...

I would not call Mrs. Jones as rich or excessively wealthy. I think that this is not Hughes' primary motivation as the writer. Her presence is more effective if she is of moderate means,...

In Langston Hughes's celebrated short story "Thank You, M'am," Mrs. Jones drags Roger to her home after he attempts to steal her purse and shows him kindness by making him feel comfortable and...

The character traits displayed by Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones include kindness, forgiveness, generosity, compassion, and grace. She also displays a particularly trusting nature. The story...

In the first paragraph of "Thank You, M'am," Langston Hughes uses hyperbole and auditory imagery to create a vivid picture of the encounter between Roger and Mrs. Jones. The purse Roger tries to...

One of the themes of “Thank You, Ma'am” is the importance of giving someone a second chance. Mrs. Jones knows from personal experience what it's like to go without and to want to have nice things....

One of the principal lessons of Langston Hughes's "Thank You, Ma'am" is that one cannot make judgments based on appearances. When Roger first sees Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, alone at...

Young Roger has learned (1) to respect people and their property, and he has learned that (2) there are people who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of others. (1) When Roger attempts to...

At the beginning of Langston Hughes's celebrated short story "Thank You, M'am," Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones's purse but ends up falling on the sidewalk. Mrs. Jones...

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...

One of the most striking similarities between these two pieces of literature is the characterization of a strong female. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is determined to steer young Roger back...

In Langston Hughes's short story "Thank You, M'am," Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones significantly influences Roger through compassion, care, and generosity. When Roger tries to steal her purse,...

Mrs. Jones is a very large woman. She is large in personality, and in physical presence. Mrs. Jones also makes a large gesture when she takes Roger home, counsels him, and gives him the money for...

Roger: "Oh my God! You're Mrs. Jones! It's been so long since I've seen you. How are you, and how is your life?"Mrs. Jones: "Oh, Roger, my dear! I'm fine. It's been so long since I've seen...

Difficult choice to make. Whilst I certainly celebrate Mrs. Jones for her character and her bravery in dragging Roger back with her, she definitely took a risk. However, perhaps we can infer that...

Both Roger and Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones are African Americans, who share similar backgrounds and come from poor homes. Through Roger's comments, one can surmise that he comes from a...

When analyzing Roger's character in "Thank You M'am" by Langston Hughes, it is important to consider the part he plays in the story and its development. After a brief introduction to Mrs. Luella...

Both the exposition and the resolution of short stories are essential elements. Interestingly, in "Thank You Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, the exposition is much more developed than the resolution....

The short story "Thank You, M'am" opens with Roger, a poor teenage boy, who tries to steal Mrs. Jones' purse while she walks home at night. That would be the introdiction, or exposition of the...

Roger places himself in direct physical conflict with Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones when he tries to mug her. Unfortunately for him, Mrs. Jones is not a woman who is easily taken advantage of,...

In literature, the rising action relates to the events which take place before the climax, the most intense and dramatic point of the story. In "Thank You M'am," the rising action happens after the...

The climax of the story is when Roger does not leave. In this story, Roger is a boy who tries to steal a lady’s purse. The lady, Mrs. Jones, decides to take him home instead of screaming, giving...

In Langston Hughes' short story "Thank You, Ma'am," there are several ways in which Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones shows empathy for Roger. Empathy is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary...

The short story Thank You M'am by Langston Hughes is told from an omniscient third person perspective. The narrator sets the scene by describing Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones on her route home...

This first sentence is an example of hyperbole (an exaggerated statement) because it is impossible to carry around a bag so large that it contains all of your personal possessions. However, by...

From the beginning to the end, Mrs. Jones reacts in a way that is completely beyond Roger’s expectation. In the first place, Roger is quite sure that he would be able to pull the purse slinging on...

The main conflict in “Thank You, M’am” is Roger’s internal conflict of whether or not to run away. The initial conflict in the story is a character vs. character conflict between Roger and Mrs....

The two characters in Langston Hughes's short story "Thank You, M'am" are Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and Roger. Roger is portrayed as a young, naive adolescent who makes the reckless...

Roger does not run because he is intrigued by Mrs. Jones and she is being supportive of him. When Roger tries to snatch Mrs. Jones’s purse, she does not scream or call the police. She knocks him...

Your original question asked two questions and, according to enotes regulations, I have edited it down to one question. Please do not ask multiple questions. To consider the question above, how do...

In Langton Hughes' short story Thank you, Ma'am, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones takes Roger home with her after he attempts to snatch her pocketbook. Mrs. Jones take him home because she feels...

I think that one of the most profound elements of the story is how Mrs. Jones achieves a quality of transcendence. She is clearly of this world, as is Roger. Yet, she speaks with an authority and...

Mrs. Jones does not ask Roger about his home life because doing so is superfluous; her powers of perception tell her all about Roger. After Mrs. Jones foils Roger's attempt to steal her purse by...

In spite of Roger’s attempt to rob her, Mrs. Jones shows the boy nothing but kindness, advancing the story’s themes surrounding empathy, compassion, dignity, and trust. One of the first questions...

Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones from Thank You M'am by Langston Hughes is a very direct and honest woman with high expectations of everyone she meets, regardless of their circumstances. When...

In order to answer the question of whether or not Mrs. Jones is wise or foolish in her trust of Roger in "Thank you M'am," we must consider her motive as to why she makes the decision to trust him....

Langston Hughes generates foreshadowing, or hints of things to come, with the characterization of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, a large woman who is both physically and spiritually strong....

In Langston Hughes’ story “Thank You M’am” Roger and Mrs. Jones share one meal together. After Roger’s failed attempt to steal her pocketbook, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones scrutinizes Roger’s...

In the short story "Thank You, M'am," by Langston Hughes, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is walking home late at night. A young man approaches her and tries to steal her purse. The story...

The theme of trust is evident in Langston Hughes’ short story “Thank You, M’am.” Roger is thwarted in his attempt to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones’ pocketbook. She is strong enough to...

Roger looked at the door--looked at the woman--looked at the door--and went to the sink. The appearance of the italicized words differs from the upright letters, suggesting the leaning of a...

The mood of Langston Hughes’ short story “Thank You, M’am” is hopeful. This tone is evident in the plot of the story, which begins with a young boy named Roger attempting to steal the purse Mrs....