Why did Roger try to steal Mrs. Jones's purse in "Thank You, M'am"?

Roger claims that the immediate reason for which he tried to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones's purse is that he wanted to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes. However, she quickly ascertains the larger issues that affect Roger's behavior. She says to him,

You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?

Although the boy replies in the negative, she makes Roger wash his face (giving him a clean towel and warm water with which to do it), and she asks him again if he has had his dinner. Tellingly, he replies that there is "'nobody home'" at his house. She tells him, then, that they are going to eat, no longer offering him a chance to respond because, as she says,

I believe you're hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my pocketbook.

In other words, Mrs. Jones believes that Roger really tried to steal her purse because he is hungry, or because he does not have enough to eat in general. Further, she seems to think that if there is no one home to feed him, then there is no one at home to teach him right from wrong, either. So, while Roger claims that his reason to steal is his desire for trendy shoes, Mrs. Jones believes that his real reason is that he needs food and guidance. After all, she says that she's been in a similar position before.

Why did Roger try to steal Mrs. Jones's purse in "Thank You, M'am"?

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 Jones is an imposing African American woman who, when she feels Roger pulling on her purse, tosses him to the ground. 

When she looks more closely at the boy, she notices that he looks decidedly dirty and unkempt, as if he has not been taking care of himself or has had no one taking care of him. She feels some sympathy for the boy, but she does not turn soft. She tells him that, since he is the one who interfered with her plans, he must not be so quick to leave. She takes him home and begins to make some dinner. She says,

“I believe you’re hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my pocketbook.”
“I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy.

He was not, as she assumed, trying to steal her purse to get money to eat; he wanted money to buy blue suede shoes. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones eventually gives the boy ten dollars for the shoes, as she was once someone who also "wanted things [she]could not get." It seems Roger actually picked the right woman from whom to steal a purse.

Why did Roger try to steal Mrs. Jones's purse in "Thank You, M'am"?

Roger's original failure to obtain the purse is explained fully in the text:

The strap broke with the single tug the boy gave it from behind. But the boy’s weight and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his balance so, 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.

Roger had tugged very hard on the purse's strap as he came from behind, breaking it in the process. He then lost his footing since his and the purse's weight caused him to lose his balance. He fell to the sidewalk with his feet in the air and Mrs Washington Jones then gave him a solid kick on his behind. Instead of getting him arrested or releasing him, Mrs Washington Jones dragged him home with her, where she showed Roger a rare and unexpected kindness. 

She spoke to him in a decent way. Although she was also admonishing him, she was not rude or aggressive in any way. She realized that he was quite needy as well as hungry and in the short time of their acquaintance she provided him with food and good old-fashioned advice. It was obviously also a bonus for Roger when she extended her kindness even further by giving him ten dollars before he left, to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes.

Roger did have a second opportunity to get away with the purse, for Mrs Jones went behind a screen and did not watch him as she was busy preparing food in the kitchen. He could easily have grabbed her purse and run off with it, since it was within reach. However, he decided not to do so as is made clear in the following extract:

In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen. 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 had, at this point, learnt that it was important that others trust one but that trust has to be earned. If he had run away with the purse, he would have lost Mrs Washington Jones' trust forever, and he was not prepared to do that. He already believed that she could not trust him. He had to prove that he could be trusted.

When he left later, Roger surely departed from Mrs Washington Jones' place a better person. The interlude had taught him quite a few life lessons which would probably stay with him for the rest of his life.

In "Thank You, M'am," how did Mrs. Jones react when Roger tried to steal her purse?

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 Mrs. Jones shoulders and run away with it. He tries doing so with maximum force but the purse is much heavier than he thinks. He loses his balance and falls down on the pavement. Mrs. Jones kicks him “right square in his blue-jeaned sitter” and then picks him up by his shirt. When she starts shaking him with both her hands, his teeth start "rattling." Her grip is too strong to be escaped from. Her robust and vigorous reaction stuns him.

Roger’s obvious expectation was that Mrs. Jones would hand him over to the police. Completely against his thoughts, she takes him to her house. What follows there leaves him speechless and overwhelmed with a strong sense of gratitude.

Despite being a stranger, Mrs. Jones treats him just like her son. She shouts at him for being so untidy and unkempt. She asks him to clean his face and offers him a clean towel and a comb. Then she cooks him something to eat and shares the dining table with him. She takes care not to embarrass him by her question or remark and speaks to him quite informally.

Before he leaves, she gives him ten dollars to buy himself a pair of suede shoes. Her final words to him are,

“Good-night! Behave yourself, boy!”

Roger must be thinking that Mrs. Jones is like no other woman. He had just tried to rob her of her purse and he is probably wondering how it’s possible that she had been so kind and affectionate to him. Thus, the way Mrs. Jones reacts not only amazes Roger but also the readers. We’d love to hope that her motherly and empathetic reaction brings about a tremendous change in Roger, who until now has been a petty thief. 

In "Thank You, M'am," how did Mrs. Jones react when Roger tried to steal her purse?

When Roger tries to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones's purse in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes, Mrs. Jones does what most other people would do and she reacts strongly to the situation. However, whereas others may become aggressive or even emotional, she does not. She is portrayed as a "large woman" and the fact that her purse also seems proportionately large because it holds everything except "hammer and nails" indicates that she is not likely to be afraid of any event. She is walking alone late at night and her reaction to Roger's attempted theft reveals a levelheadedness that belies the situation. Others may run away or shout and call for help, not knowing how to manage the problem facing them. Mrs. Jones, however, immediately has an understanding of what is going on and handles it in a practical way, as if what Roger has done is nothing unusual. She does not overreact, and even though Roger is a complete stranger, her reactions show that she is more disappointed (such as she may have been of her own children) than angered or disgusted with Roger's behavior.  

In "Thank You, M'am," how did Mrs. Jones react when Roger tried to steal her purse?

When the boy in the short story “Thank You, Ma’am” tries to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones’ purse, Mrs. Jones’ first reaction is physical.  She uses physical force against him, apparently to punish him and to prevent him from getting away.

At the beginning of the story, the young man tries to take Mrs. Jones’ purse but falls down while doing so.  Her reaction is to turn around and kick him in the behind.  She then picks him up and shakes him vigorously.  Here is the passage in the story that shows this.  It says that, after he fell down,

the large woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter. Then she reached down, picked the boy up by his shirt front, and shook him until his teeth rattled.

Presumably, she kicks him out of anger since kicking him will not necessarily prevent him from escaping.  I assume that she then picks him up and shakes him partly to punish him further and partly to prevent him from escaping.  This physical reaction is her first reaction when he tries to steal her purse.

What was Roger's motive for snatching the purse in "Thank You, M'am"?

In Langston Hughes short story “Thank You M’am,” Roger tells Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones his motive for attempting to steal her purse is to get money to purchase blue suede shoes. After thwarting his attempt, Mrs. Jones realizes his motive is far more than wanting new shoes, even if Roger is not aware of it. Mrs. Jones sees a young man in need of adult direction in his life. As she picks him up, she gives him a once over, and sees his dirty face and general dishevelment.

Instead of turning him in to the authorities, she decides to take him to her home. Mrs. Jones is astute enough to realize that it is less about blue suede shoes, and more about a young man in need of attention and direction. In their conversations, she addresses him as “son,” which is a term of endearment showing she cares about him.

“Then we’ll eat,” said the woman, “I believe you’re hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my

pockekbook.”

 “I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy.

 “Well, you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes,” said Mrs. Luella Bates

Washington Jones. “You could of asked me.”

Through her actions and words, she teaches him about respect, kindness, and trust. Roger realizes that he wants to be trusted and demonstrates this. In the end, Mrs. Jones is convinced Roger deserves the shoes and gives him the money. In essence, his original motive is met, but in a very different way than Roger ever imagined.

When they were finished eating she got up and said, “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.”

In "Thank You, M'am," what is Mrs. Jones's reaction to Roger's crime?

In the short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, Roger is trying to steal the purse belonging to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. He trips and falls instead of making a quick getaway, and Mrs. Jones reacts by admonishing him for his behavior. Then, she mothers him and takes care of his needs. 

When Roger trips and falls, the first thing that Mrs. Jones does is to kick him in the pants. Then, she picks him up by his shirt and begins chastening him. She shakes him and says, "Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here." Still holding onto him, she asks him if he will run if she lets go of his shirt. He nods, so she doesn't let go of him. 

She tells Roger he needs his face washed and asks him if he's hungry. When Roger replies that all he wants is for her to turn him loose, she responds this way:

"Was I bothering you when I turned that corner?" asked the woman. 

"No'm."

"But you put yourself in contact with me," said the woman. "If you think that contact is not going to last awhile, you got another thought coming. When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones."

She takes him to her home and makes him wash his face. Then she makes a meal for him and asks him why he was trying to steal her purse. He tells her he wanted a pair of blue suede shoes. She gives him a ten dollar bill in order for him to purchase the shoes. She also tells him he should have just asked for what he wanted in the first place, instead of trying to steal from her.