Tone is the attitude the author takes toward the subject of the text. The primary conflict in this story is between Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and Roger, a young boy who tries to rob her. Mrs. Jones quickly learns that Roger has no one at home to support him, and she drags him back to her own home to offer him a good meal and clean him up. Through her response, we are presented with a compassionate and optimistic tone.

Mrs. Jones could have reacted with anger toward a young boy who attempted to steal from her. Instead, she is able to recognize the true motives behind Roger's actions, and she sees an opportunity to guide him in a different direction. She demonstrates the importance of presenting oneself with cleanliness and comments that he must be hungry to try and steal from her. When Roger confesses that he instead wanted her money so that he could purchase a new pair of shoes, Mrs. Jones asks him why he simply didn't ask her for the money. Roger is floored by her response.

Mrs. Jones tells Roger that she has "wanted things [she] could not get," too. She leaves her purse in plain view as she prepares their meal, and she even offers to let him run to the store and purchase milk, if that's his preference. When they finish their meal, Mrs. Jones provides Roger with the money he'd tried to steal from her.

In her response, Mrs. Jones exhibits great grace. Her generosity demonstrates that she holds no grudge toward Roger and that perhaps her kindness has turned this young man's life around. This response provides a hopeful and optimistic tone that exists despite the conflict in the story.

To answer this question, we first need to establish what tone is. In a nutshell, tone is the way in which an author uses words to create meaning. The tone of this story incorporates humor, sympathy, knowledge of the difference between right and wrong, and maternal instincts.

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is a dignified woman who would have been well within her rights to call the police after Roger attempted to rob her. The tone is set, however, when she instead invites him into her home.

It is through tone that we can tell that Roger is hardly a hardened criminal and merely a young man who has had few opportunities to learn the difference between right and wrong. The lighthearted tone is promoted by the fact that he is attempting to steal money not to buy food, but to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.

The maternal tone of this story is created by Luella's admonishment of Roger's personal hygiene and the concern she shows for him by making sure that he goes back into the night with a full stomach—and the money he needs for those blue suede shoes.

The fact that Roger clearly begins to feel guilty for what he has done adds to the tone of surprise which runs through this story.

Tone refers to the way the author feels about the subject of the story. I would, therefore, describe the tone of this story as sympathetic and even approving.

Mrs. Jones could have called the police on Roger, the young man who tries to steal her purse, but she decides to treat him with empathy and compassion instead. She feeds him, gives him a place to clean himself up, and shows him kindness when she gives him the money he needs to purchase the shoes he wants. Mrs. Jones admits that she, too, has done some things that she is not proud of, refusing to judge the boy harshly for his mistake. As a result, she is presented as an incredibly thoughtful and perceptive individual who empathizes with others rather than judging them, and this makes it seem as though Langston Hughes very much approves of her actions. He presents Roger sympathetically, as someone who has not had many opportunities to learn in his life rather than as some young hooligan.

The tone of this story is humorous, ironic, hopeful, and optimistic at different times.

Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject.  You are looking at the words that are used in the story and the emotion behind those words.  Take a look at this excerpt.

[Instead] of taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk, and his legs flew up. The large woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter.

Part of the tone hear is humorous, because we know that although the boy fell down and the woman attacked him, and technically a crime is being committed here, no one is seriously hurt.  The language tells us that this is not a scary event.  The boy is not dangerous and neither is the woman.  If anything, the author is amused. 

There is also an ironic tone to this story.  In most stories of purse-snatchings, the hoodlum snatches the innocent and helpless lady’s purse and runs off.  In this situation, that is not what happens at all.  The lady fights back.  However, she is not calling the police.  Instead, she takes him home with her.  This is unexpected.

“Um-hum! And your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain’t you got nobody home to tell you to wash your face?”

 “No’m,” said the boy.

“Then it will get washed this evening,” said the large woman starting up the street, dragging the frightened boy behind her.

This leads me to a final tone for the story, for the part where Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones takes Roger home and fixes him food.  She tells him about her life, and gives him some mothering.  This part could be described as hopeful, giving us some hope for human nature perhaps, or optimistic.  It’s a beautiful story of a woman trying to help a neighborhood boy turn his life around.

As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.  This story demonstrates a twist on a familiar story, and it is believable partly because of the carefully crafted language.  The author’s tone helps us feel the characters’ presence and understand and believe in the optimism of their change.

The tone in "Thank You, M'am" is what I would call informally conversational. Hughes is not trying to impress anybody with his vocabulary or complicated writing style—he is just trying to tell his story in a straightforward, simple way, like you might hear it from a friend.

This tone is apparent in some of the phrases he uses. At one point he refers to Roger as “the being-dragged boy” because Mrs. Jones has overpowered him and his hauling him back to her apartment, much against his will. We also hear this informality in Mrs. Jones’ speech, which sounds uneducated but morally upright, as evidenced by her comment on Rogers attempt to steal her money to buy blue suede shoes: “Shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet.”

What is the mood of "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

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. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Hughes’ tone is lightly humorous as he describes the encounter between Mrs. Jones and Roger, which Mrs. Jones decidedly gets the better of.

Roger has picked the wrong woman to rob. She is much stronger and bolder than he could have imagined, and she drags him home with her. The mood is hopeful because of what happens next. As Mrs. Jones engages Roger in conversation and cooks for him, Roger begins to have a change of heart. He begins to want Mrs. Jones to see him as trustworthy. When Mrs. Jones actually gives him money, she is silently expressing the hope that her unexpected kindness will change Roger into someone who won’t try to steal anymore.

As Roger leaves her house, he wants to say “Thank you, M’am” to Mrs. Jones, but by then the door is already closed. The fact that Roger wishes to thank her shows that she has made at least something of an impression on him. Our hope, as readers, is that Roger has learned his lesson as a result of Mrs. Jones’ kindness.

What is the mood of "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

The mood of a story consists of the elements the author uses to make us feel a certain way while we are reading. This can include elements like description, setting, metaphors, and similes.

The setting of a story is especially important to establish the mood because it gives you a picture of where the story occurs, and how the characters react to those surroundings. In "Thank you, M'am," the setting is eleven o'clock at night on the street, with very few people around. To show us the setting, the author points out the time, and that the woman is walking alone at night. This gives the story an ominous mood.

It was about eleven o'clock at night, and she was walking alone...

The mood of the conversation between the boy and the woman can be seen by looking at the length of their sentences and the tone of their voices. The woman talks loudly and angrily, while the boy whispers and uses short phrases when he talks. Their interaction is brusque on her end and frightened on his end. The author describes the boy as thin, with shabby clothing. This shows a contrast between the boy and the woman, who is a "large woman." By describing the sweat "popping out" on the boy's face, and his tone of voice during their interactions, the author creates a mood of fear and intense anxiety.

Later, the mood in the story changes. When the woman drags the boy to her house, he realizes that there are other people in the house and that the door is open. This detail shows us that he still feels wary, but he feels safer now because there are other people around. The woman shows caring for the boy by telling him to wait till the water gets warm before washing his face. As the story progresses, the boy (who we now find out is named Roger) relaxes and can sit down and eat dinner with the woman. The mood of the story becomes much more comfortable, relaxed, and friendly. The story ends on a note of gratitude. Roger feels grateful to the woman for how she treated him, but doesn't know how to express it besides for saying, "Thank you, M'am" when she walks him out.

What is the theme expressed in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

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. So she's able to develop empathy for Roger, to step into his shoes and treat him with kindness and consideration. Instead of marching him off to the nearest police station, as many people in her position would do, she resolves to give the young tearaway a second chance.

Mrs. Jones evidently sees something in the young lad that convinces her that he'll respond positively to her giving him a second chance. And the initial signs, at least, are very good. For although Roger has an additional opportunity of stealing Mrs. Jones's purse when her back is turned, he doesn't take it. It would be all too easy for Roger to snatch the purse and run out of Mrs. Jones's door. And this time she wouldn't be able to catch him.

That he doesn't do this is due in no small part to Mrs. Jones giving him a second chance, an opportunity to show what kind of a person he really is beneath this less than impressive exterior.

What is the theme expressed in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

One theme that becomes apparent in "Thank You, Ma'am" is the importance of extending grace—even to those who don't deserve it.

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones would have certainly been justified to seek punishment for Roger. Roger's choice to prey on an elderly woman so that he could purchase new shoes for himself is fairly despicable. Yet Mrs. Jones seeks to understand why Roger had attempted to victimize her, and then she makes great efforts to help him.

Mrs. Jones quickly realizes that Roger doesn't have the support of family at home. As a result, his face is dirty and he looks as though he hasn't been fed well. Mrs. Jones takes the boy who attempted to mug her to her own house, cleaning him up and feeding him a decent meal.

She also takes the time to explain to Roger that he could make better choices in life, but she doesn't do so from a place of moral superiority. Instead, she is forthright with him:

"You thought I was going to say, but I didn’t snatch people’s pocketbooks. Well, I wasn’t going to say that.” Pause. Silence. “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if he didn’t already know."

Leaving her purse out in the open, Mrs. Jones demonstrates trust in Roger to make better decisions. And before he leaves, she makes sure that he has the money to purchase the new shoes—the same money he had tried to steal from her.

Mrs. Jones displays incredible grace in her treatment of a boy who didn't deserve it. Through her actions, Roger has hopefully recognized the importance of living by a higher moral code.

What is the theme expressed in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

A theme is the primary point or perhaps the moral of a story, and there is always room for multiple themes; however, the primary theme of "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes concerns the power of trust. 

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is not about to let a teenage boy steal her purse, but she is also unwilling to let him go home hungry. She can see that he is suffering from neglect, as he appears to be rather dirty and unkempt, as if no one were really taking care of him. She determines to do something to help, and once they get to her house we learn why.

She assumes that Roger was trying to steal her purse because he was hungry, but Roger tells her he wanted money to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones understands, saying after a few moments of reflection, “I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.” After an even longer pause and more silence, she says this:

“I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if he didn’t already know. So you set down while I fix us something to eat. You might run that comb through your hair so you will look presentable.”

As the woman starts to prepare a meal, she does something unthinkable. She leaves her pocketbook on the bed and the door open, providing the perfect opportunity for a young man who really does have a criminal heart to take advantage of her. As she must have expected (or at least hoped), Roger is moved by her trust in him and does not take advantage of her.

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.

This is the greatest gift she could have given this boy, something much more significant than the ten dollars she gives him to buy the shoes for which he is willing to steal. For a young boy suffering from neglect, who is not important enough for anyone to take good care of, the trust that a perfect stranger offers him is a gift beyond measure. Her trust tells Roger that he has value and worth, and we know by his response that Mrs. Luella Bates Washington was right. Roger is not a bad boy, and he will be a better boy for having met this formidable and insightful woman. 

What is the theme expressed in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

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 Langston Hughes’s “Thank You, Ma’am,” I’ll focus on the theme of respect. When Roger attempts to take Mrs. Jones’ purse, he’s only thinking of himself and what he wants. He has no respect for her or her belongings and it may be argued that he shows no respect for himself, either. She reacts by choosing to not treat him like a common thief, but with kindness and concern—with respect. She goes so far as to offer him dinner, but to not ask why he is on the streets alone and why he hasn’t eaten, in so doing respecting his individuality and his boundaries. In the course of the evening, when she goes behind a screen to cook, leaving her purse near the boy, he “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,” having discovered that “he did not want to be mistrusted now.” She showed him respect and he found himself wishing to be deserving of it.

He asks if she needs him to run to the store for anything, and she says not unless he wants some sweet milk to drink, but she was just going to make cocoa. He agrees that cocoa is fine. This simple exchange marks a change in the trust they have in one another. Before, his thoughts were bent on escape and she knew it. Now, he offers to run an errand—and opportunity for him to escape, possibly with her money—and she gives him the opportunity, but he turns her down. This trust established, the respect between them and in particular, his self-respect deepens.

What is the genre of "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

In literature, a genre is a category assigned to a work that helps readers to know what they can expect in a particular work. For example, a mystery novel has a certain set of characteristics that differs a lot from a romance novel. A genre is a category of works that share certain characteristics.

There is a broad definition of a genre, namely novels, plays, short stories, and poems, and then a narrower definition, which includes categories such as historical fiction, crime/detective, mystery, western, and thriller, to name a few. Those categories are further narrowed into sub-genres.

The story "Thank You, Ma'm," by Langston Hughes, is first categorized as a short story. Short stories can be up to 30,000 words. With more than 30,000 words, a literary work is considered a novella. Short stories generally don't support subplots because of their length. Within the genre of short story, "Thank You, Ma'm" fits into the sub-genre of literary realism and urban fiction. Literary realism began in the mid 19th century. It is characterized by realistic settings and events and attempts to represent subject matters honestly. It is not highly stylized and is mostly concerned with the truthful and realistic representations of life. There are no supernatural elements in literary realism.

"Thank You, Ma'm" also fits in the sub-genre of urban fiction. Urban fiction is sometimes called street lit or street fiction. This type of fiction is set in cities and defined by the socioeconomic difficulties of its characters. There is a great deal of emphasis placed on the culture of the characters, as well.

What is the genre of "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

Genre refers to a category of art, including music, literature, and film. Just as music is divided into various categories (classical, opera, punk, soft rock, metal, hip hop, etc), so is film (romance, historical, documentary, action, kung fu, etc) and literature (poetry, drama, fiction, creative non-fiction, memoir, autobiography, etc). 

"Thank you, M'am" falls into fiction, most broadly. Fiction, of course, is divided again into various genres, including novels and novellas, legends and fairy tales and myths, short stories, flash fiction, and even poetry (although poetry is usually considered its own genre, separate from fiction altogether). This story is a short story.

Short stories, again, fall into various sub-genres, often delineated by the time period in which they were written and the themes they discuss. This particular one is modernist in its focus on "low art"--discussion of common people with common problems--and understated description and emotion. It is also a bildungsroman; that is, a coming-of-age story. Roger learns in this short piece what it feels like to be cared for and he translates that into behaving in a manner deserving of respect. 

What is the theme in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

One of the themes that develops in this story is the power of trust. Roger certainly doesn't deserve trust. The unlikely pair of Roger and Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones only meet because Roger fails in his attempts to rob her.

In grace, Mrs. Jones reaches out to young Roger when she learns that he doesn't have anyone at home and is hungry. She first commands him to clean himself up; then she tells him that he will stay and eat with her.

Next, Mrs. Jones trusts Roger by making herself vulnerable, telling him that she's made her own share of mistakes—mistakes that are so grievous that she wouldn't even share them with God if He didn't know the truth anyways.

With this being said, she leaves her purse out in plain sight and goes around the corner. In this action she extends trust to Roger that he will neither steal from her nor run away. Because of this, he offers to go to the store for her if she needs anything else to prepare dinner. The two share a cordial meal. Roger has transformed into her guest instead of her victim of punishment because Mrs. Jones's actions that convey her trust in him.

Ultimately, she gifts Roger the money he previously tried to steal from her. Her altruism shows that she holds no resentment toward him and that she trusts that he will create a better path for himself from this point forward. Although the story ends by noting that the pair never crossed paths again, the tone is hopeful that Mrs. Jones's trust changed Roger's life in a positive way.

What is the theme in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

In Thank You, M'am by Langston Hughes, the reader becomes aware of the self-respect to which Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones holds herself and everyone she comes into contact with. She sets her expectations high and can think of no reason to behave in an unseemly manner, even in desperate circumstances, making trust an important theme of this short story. Luella is both shocked by and sympathetic to Roger's plight, and she does not let anyone or anything get the better of her: "Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?" she asks Roger after stopping him from stealing her purse. 

Instead of judging Roger, she immediately accepts some form of responsibility for him and suggests he should do the same:

"Um-hum! And your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain’t you got nobody home to tell you to wash your face?"

The theme of self-respect continues throughout and is apparent from Luella's words and treatment of Roger and her understanding that, at first, he will run away at the first opportunity: "When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones." Luella is determined that Roger should learn from her, if from nobody else. 

Compassion and a realization that a person's future lies in their own hands is another important lesson that Roger must learn. Forgiveness is a theme and Luella can relate to Roger's circumstances: "I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if he didn’t already know."

Roger's future lies in his own hands and Luella's real intentions become clear at the end. Luella knows that Roger represents so many young people who have no role models and she just hopes that she has had a sufficient impression on him: 

"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. I got to get my rest now. But I wish you would behave yourself, son, from here on in."

Luella hopes that she has given Roger some of his self-respect back to enable him to become a better person. 

What is the theme in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

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 the purse causes Roger to fall down. Jones kicks Roger, picks him up, and drags him to her home. After leaving him alone in her home, Roger decides not to take the money from Jones' purse (which has been left open and unattended). After eating dinner, Jones gives Roger ten dollars to buy the shoes he wanted (the shoes being the reason he tried to steal her purse). 

The themes, therefore, are illustrated through Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones' ability to both love and forgive Roger, her desire to treat him with dignity (after taking him to her house), and her desire to prove him trustworthy. Roger realizes, as he leaves Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones' home, that she has loved him, trusted him, forgiven him, and treated him with dignity. 

What is the theme in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

Langston Hughes' “Thank You, M'am” is a powerful little short story about a small kid, a large woman, and an important lesson.

In determining a theme to a work we need to consider more than just the plot. One mistake that students often make in stating a theme is to summarize the story or give an important event from the story. But a theme is something deeper than that--it is a statement about human life or about human nature that is exemplified in the work.

Think of it this way: if you could take the essence of a work, the central message that an artist wants to convey, you would have its theme.

With that in mind, think about what happens in “Thank You, M'am.” I'll summarize first, and then we will come up with an appropriate theme: A kid tries to steal a woman's pocketbook to get money to buy some blue suede shoes but gets caught. The woman drags the kid back to her apartment, but instead of being furious and vengeful, she shows the boy kindness. Then, as he leaves, she says,

“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. I got to get my rest now. But I wish you would behave yourself, son, from here on in.”

The last thing anyone expects is to see a thief rewarded. But it's the boy's reaction in the final lines that reveals the theme to us:

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. He barely managed to say “Thank you” before she shut the door. And he never saw her again.

The boy, Roger, has been significantly affected by Mrs. Jones' surprising generosity. The fact that the wants to thank her tells us that in an understated way.

The theme is going to be something along the lines of, “Showing kindness instead of anger can change a person's outlook in a positive way.”

Of course, there is always more than one way to state a theme. Ten people might come up with ten different answers, but as long as they reflected the central message of the story, they could each be correct.  

What is the theme in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

Author Langston Hughes explores several themes in his poignant short story, "Thank You, M'am." The ideas of trust, dignity and respect are foremost in the interactions between the protagonist, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones and her would-be purse snatcher, Roger. The conflict arises when Roger tries to steal Mrs. Jones' purse; the large woman cuffs him, however, and leads him to her apartment. Once inside, she treats him with the respect he has probably rarely encountered, offering him a place to clean himself and then a portion of her meager meal. She leaves her purse unprotected, showing that she trusts the boy despite his earlier transgression. In the end, the poor woman--who obviously can barely make ends meet--gives Roger $10 in order to buy the blue suede shoes he so desperately desires. She then shows him the door; the boy, obviously humbled and gratified by her kindness, manages to thank her as the door closes behind him. Mrs. Jones' actions are meant to instill trust and confidence in the boy who, like her, is in need of both material and spiritual guidance.

What is the author's tone in "Thank You, M'am"?

A story's tone is the way in which the author approaches the subject and overall message of the literary work. In "Thank You, M'am," Roger is a young boy who makes the mistake of trying to rob Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Through her response, readers are presented with a lightly humorous and optimistic tone.

As Roger attempts to mug an older woman, he unexpectedly finds himself on the ground—and without the purse he had tried to snatch. This is fairly humorous in itself, but Mrs. Jones's reaction furthers the light humor here: she grabs the boy and shakes him "until his teeth rattled."

Roger is young, only fourteen or fifteen years old, and Mrs. Jones's maternal instincts quickly assess his situation. He is dirty and not properly cared for. She commences with a plan of action, dragging Roger in a "half-nelson about his neck" to her own home. This creates rather humorous imagery, as the power is shifted to the old woman who was supposed to be Roger's victim.

Mrs. Jones learns that Roger wanted to rob her to buy a pair of blue suede shoes, an impractical purchase for a boy who is "willow-thin." Mrs. Jones not only provides Roger with a warm meal, but she also ends up giving him the money for those impractical shoes before he leaves.

The story ends in notes of hope that Mrs. Jones has steered Roger in a new direction by demonstrating an empathy that he needed on a night when he initially chose to commit crimes against her. Her grace and generosity resolve the conflict in a way that presents optimism for Roger's future.