Thank You, M'am Questions and Answers
by Langston Hughes

Recently Answered Questions

• Thank You, M'am
  Do you think that Roger has changed at the end of the story Thank You, M'am? Explain.
  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...

  4 Educator Answers

• Thank You, M'am
  What is the conflict in "Thank You, M'am"?  
  There are several different conflicts present in this story. The first and most pronounced is the human v. human conflict between Ms. Washington and Roger. He tries to steal her purse and she drags...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Why did Roger try to steal Mrs. Jones's purse in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?
  Roger, the protagonist of "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes, is a teenage boy who tries to steal a woman's purse but picks the wrong woman if he wanted an easy mark. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What do you think Roger wants to say, other than "Thank you, M'am," to Mrs. Jones at the end of Langston Hughes's short story.
  At the end of Langston Hughes' short story "Thank You M'am" Roger is virtually left mute when Mrs. Jones ushers him out the front door of her apartment building: "He barely managed to say 'Thank...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Thank You Ma'am Theme
  Langston Hughes' "Thank You, M'am" contains three main themes: love and trust, forgiveness, and dignity. After Roger tries to steal the purse of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, the weight of...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Name four things that Roger wants, and two things which Mrs. Jones wants in Langston Hughes' story Thank You, M'am.
  I will name the things which Roger wants in their order of importance. Firstly, Roger wants a family. "Ain't you got nobody home to tell you to wash your face?""No, m'," said the boy. It is...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What is Roger thankful for in the story "Thank You, M'am"?
  Roger is a petty thief. He’s a young boy without family or relatives. So it is clear that he doesn’t belong to mainstream society. Dignity, love, trust or human affection – all of these have been...

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• Thank You, M'am
  In Thank You M'am, what counterclaim could be made in the story?
  Thank you, M'am by Langston Hughes is centered on the lesson that Roger, potentially a petty thief, learns from his encounter with Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. He tries to steal her purse...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What literary techniques are used in this short story to describe the character of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones? I don't need evidence, i can find that myself but i need a little help getting started.
  Literary techniques has to do with choice of language used in the story by the author. Literary techniques are deliberate uses of language for the purpose of a certain type of expression. Mrs....

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• Thank You, M'am
  Why does Mrs. Jones take Roger to her house in the story "Thank you ma'm" by Langston Hughes?
  Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones takes Roger back to her simple, modest apartment for a couple of reasons. First, she wants the opportunity to talk to him and teach him a lesson about stealing....

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• Thank You, M'am
  Why does Roger wash his face instead of running in "Thank You Ma'am"?
  In Langston Hughes' short story "Thank You M'am," a teen boy named Roger attempts to steal the purse of a large lady named Mrs. Jones. Roger claims that he is stealing the purse because he would...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  In "Thank You M'am" what is interesting about Hughes' description of Mrs. Jones' purse?
  The description of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones’ purse is symbolically interesting in Langston Hughes’ short story, “Thank You M’am.” Both the purse and the woman are described as being...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Why doesn't Mrs. Jones ask Roger about his home or parents in "Thank You, M'am?  
  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...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Why do you think Mrs. Jones handles the situation the way she does in the story, and how do you think the experience is likely to affect Roger's future?
  In "Thank You Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, young Roger meets his match when he attempts to steal the purse of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Instead of grabbing the purse and running away, Roger...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What does Mrs.Jones's dialogue in "Thank you M'am" reveal about her? 
  A stout, strong woman, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones has seen much of life herself and now takes what happens to her "in stride" as she displays no surprise or distress when the boy attempts...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What does Mrs Jones' dialogue in "Thank you, M'am" by Langston Hughes, reveal about her? Support your answer with details from the story.(Cite page and line references)
  In this short story, Thank you Ma'am by Langston Hughes, the reader is introduced to what will definitely be a "no nonsense" kind of lady, "When I get through with you, sir, you are going to...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What is the theme for Thank You M'am? 
  A literary “theme” can take different forms. It can be the dominating idea or ideas of a text, but it can also be what the writer wishes to say about that idea—his message or moral, if you will. In...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What motivated Roger and Mrs. Jones to take the actions they took?
  Langston Hughes's short story "Thank You, Ma'am" begins with a boy named Roger trying to steal a purse from a large woman named Mrs. Jones. The boy fails in his attempt to steal the purse, and Mrs....

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What literary devices are used in "Thank You, M'am"?
  Literary devices are the tools an author uses--such as foreshadowing, imagery, hyperbole, characterization, and metaphor, to name a few--that provide the reader with details and bring the text to...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Who wrote the story "Thank You, M'am," and what are themes of his literary works?
  The author of this powerful short story is Langston Hughes, an African American writer and activist. Hughes lived from 1902 until 1967, and he was a leader in the artistic and cultural movement...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Who wrote "Thank You, M'am"?
  This short story is written by Langston Hughes, an African American writer who lived from 1902 to 1967. He published this story "Thank You, M'am" in 1958. Hughes wrote all kinds of texts—poetry,...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Compare and contrast between "Two Kinds" and "Thank You, Ma'am."
  Both of these stories feature characters who are reaching to improve their current socioeconomic standing. Roger wants money to purchase a pair of blue suede shoes, an iconic representation of...

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• Thank You, M'am
  I'm not sure what my professor is asking us to compare and contrast. Her indications are: Compare and contrast the two different texts ("Two Kinds" by Amy Tan and "Thank You, Ma’am" by Langton Hughes), the authors, and how they address lessons...
  In Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," the narrator reflects on her childhood relationship with her mother and their battle over what each wanted for her future. Being a child prodigy was not what Jing-mei...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  How does Langston Hughes support his main idea in the short story "Thank You, M'am"?
  The central theme in Langston Hughes's short story "Thank You, M'am" is that there is a need to show compassion because compassion can generate change. Hughes supports his theme through the actions...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Rather than call the police, what does Mrs. Jones do to Roger? How does Roger initially respond?
  In Langston Hughes's celebrated short story "Thank You, Ma'am," Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Jones's purse but accidentally falls to the pavement. Mrs. Jones immediately grabs him by the collar and...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  Find passages from the story "Thank You, M'am" where Mrs. Jones was both tough and kind.
  At the beginning of the story, Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Jones's pocketbook but trips and falls on the ground. The narrator then reveals Mrs. Jones's tough personality by describing her actions....

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• Thank You, M'am
  After the boy washed his face twice, what other grooming did the woman have him do?
  Roger, the boy who the old woman takes into her house after he tried to rob her, only washes his face once, but dries it twice and for no other reason than that he doesn't know what else to do. The...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What are some of the boy's character traits in "Thank You, Ma'am"?
  In Langston Hughes's celebrated short story "Thank You, Ma'am," Roger is depicted as a misguided, sensitive adolescent who regrets attempting to steal Mrs. Jones's purse. When Roger initially...

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• Thank You, M'am
  If you were Roger's friend, what advice will you tell him so that he could get the blue suede shoes without violating the rights of other people in "Thank You Ma'am"?
  This is an interesting question and one wonders why Roger didn't try to steal the shoes rather than rob the woman for the money to buy them. The story is set in the sixties, so there wouldn't have...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What is the theme (life lesson) of this story?
  The primary life lesson of Langston Hughes's short story "Thank You, Ma'am" is that empathy and compassion can be more powerful than criticism and punishment. In the story, a young teenager named...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What is the setting? Use context clues to support your answer. Explain your answer.
  While Langston Hughes does not give a specific location or date of where and when the story is set, there are several significant context clues that allow the audience to make an educated guess at...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Why do you think Mrs. Jones makes a point of getting Roger to wash his face in "Thank You, M'am"? Why does she give him food? Why does she tell him about her past? Why does she avoid asking him about his family or background?
  Mrs. Jones is a highly perceptive woman who immediately recognizes that Roger is a frightened, lonely boy; perhaps he has no family. She knows that if she behaves too warmly toward him, she will...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What valuable lessons did Roger learn from Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones?
  The lesson of compassion is one of the most important lessons that Roger learns from Mrs. Jones. To be compassionate means to show sympathy towards another person. Mrs. Jones shows tremendous...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What was Mrs. Bates going to do with the canned milk she gets?
  In Langston Hughes's "Thank You M'am," Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones tells Roger that she was thinking of using canned milk to make cocoa for herself and the boy. Hughes doesn't mention whether...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What does the boy do to the woman?
  The short story "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes tells of an encounter between a young teenage boy named Roger and a woman named Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. The boy does several things...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What clues tell the readers that Roger is not a bad guy?
  Hughes suggests to readers that Roger is not a bad person by illustrating how Roger follows Mrs. Jones's instructions by picking up her purse. When Mrs. Jones asks Roger if he is ashamed of...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  In Thank You M'am, what does the dialogue between Roger and Mrs. Jones, as well as their actions, reveal about their character traits?
  In Thank You, M'am by Langston Hughes, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones' actions speak volumes about the type of person she is. She is not afraid; she will not accept bad behavior and she feels a...

  2 Educator Answers

• Thank You, M'am
  How does the interaction between Roger and Mrs. Jones in paragraphs 33–41 contribute to the overall meaning of the story?
  This is the section after Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones tells Roger he didn't need to snatch her pocketbook just because he wanted blue suede shoes—he could have simply asked her. Of course,...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What do Mrs. Jones and Roger have in common?
  After Roger tries to steal Mrs. Jones's purse, telling her that he wanted to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes, she claims to have personal knowledge of wanting things that she could not have....

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  In "Thank you M'am" by Langston Hughes, when Roger enters Mrs. Jones’s room, she leaves the door open. Why?
  In the short story “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes, Mrs. Jones leaves the door open to her room as a lesson in trust and decision-making. When the pair arrives at Mrs. Jones’ room she has...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Why do you think Roger decides he does not want to be mistrusted in "Thank You, M'am"?
  At a couple of points in the story, Roger realizes that he can escape from Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones's house, such as this moment: The boy turned around, wondering what next. The door was...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  How does Mrs. Jones fulfill a role of a temporary mother to Roger?
  When Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Jones's purse, he stumbles to the ground, and Mrs. Jones proceeds to grab Roger and drag him to her home. While Mrs. Jones is dragging Roger home, she asks whether...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  What are three themes in the story Thank you M'am?
  Three themes present in "Thank You, Ma'am" are Forgiveness and Empathy, the Power of Love and Trust, and Christian Charity. Forgiveness and Empathy When Roger first snatches the purse of Mrs....

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• Thank You, M'am
  Locate passages where the boy could have fled but did not.
  When Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Jones’s purse, he stumbles onto the pavement, and she is able to grab him. Mrs. Jones ends up putting Roger in a half nelson and dragging him home. While Mrs....

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  Why do you think Mrs. Jones handles the situation the way she does in the story "Thank You, Ma'am"?
  When Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Jones's purse, he falls to the pavement, and Mrs. Jones grabs a hold of him. Mrs. Jones then puts Roger in a half-nelson and drags him back to her home, where she...

  1 Educator Answer

• Thank You, M'am
  ​​What major changes in character and plot would take place if the setting changed to modern-day New York in Thank You, M'am? Use RASPP or RACE to construct your response.
  Langston Hughes’s story can easily be re-imagined for a twenty-first-century setting. A full range of possibilities could be applied. The story concerns the relationship between two characters: an...

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• Thank You, M'am
  Hughes introduces both characters with names and then continues to refer to Roger as “boy.” Why do you think this is? What does this emphasize within the story?
  Although Hughes introduces both characters as Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and Roger, he continues to use the word "boy" when referencing Roger and calls Mrs. Jones the "woman." By referring...

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• Thank You, M'am
  What is the foreshadowing and symbolism in the short story "Thank You M'am"?
  Foreshadowing is a hint at future events, and symbolism is when an object or persons stands for something. One example of foreshadowing is the first sentence of the story, which describes Mrs....

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• Thank You, M'am
  Give two examples of rising action from the story "Thank You, M'am."
  Rising action in a story helps create the tension that makes the climax of the story exciting and satisfying for a reader. In "Thank You, M'am," one part of the rising action is when Mrs. Luella...

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• Thank You, M'am
  When they arrived at the boarding house, what do you think Roger was planning to do in "Thank you, M'am"?
  After Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Jones's pocketbook, she grabs him by the neck, puts him in a half-nelson, and proceeds to drag him home. When Roger first arrives at Mrs. Jones's home, he...

  1 Educator Answer