Has Roger changed by the end of "Thank You, M'am"? Explain.

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.

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.

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.

What is a character sketch of Roger in "Thank You, M'am"?

When Roger arrives at Mrs. Jones's home, he struggles with the decision to flee or stay and wash his face. Roger chooses to wash his face and attempts to prove to Mrs. Jones that he is trustworthy by sitting far away from her purse. Langston Hughes writes,

He [Roger] did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.

What is the character analysis of Roger in "Thank You, M'am"?

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 Bates Washington Jones, the incident which propels the plot forward takes place, and Roger tries to steal Mrs. Jones's purse. Therefore, the reader forms an adverse first impression of Roger as a would-be thief. However, it does not take long for the reader to reassess his or her first impression. 

Roger's failed attempt reveals that he is not a seasoned criminal but just a "boy," and his response to Mrs. Jones's question about whether he is ashamed of himself (he is) contributes to the reader's understanding of Roger's internal conflict as he struggles between doing the right thing and his desire for a pair of blue suede shoes. It is this inner conflict which develops his character as the reader witnesses his reactions to Mrs. Jones's actions. His behavior reveals that Mrs. Jones's observations about his being somewhat neglected and left to fend for himself are apparently correct. He is frightened, apologetic, and, ironically, essentially well-mannered and honest. He responds to Mrs. Jones's questions respectfully and even admits that he would run away if he were given the chance.

Roger is somewhat confused by his own actions when he is given that opportunity to run away and chooses not to; such is the impact of this "large woman." This change in Roger reveals that he is a dynamic character because a dynamic character does experience change during the course of a story, but he cannot be described as a fully rounded character because the reader has no way of knowing whether Roger is reformed sufficiently to follow Mrs. Jones's instructions and "behave." The reader certainly hopes so, and the fact that Roger acknowledges that a simple "Thank you" would not fully express his gratitude for the $10 he receives supports this belief in Roger. Hughes says, "The boy wanted to say something else other than 'Thank you, m’am,'” revealing Roger's developing maturity and apparent recognition that what has happened is about far more than a pair of shoes.

Roger, who we are first introduced to in this memorable story when he tries to steal the bag of Mrs. Jones, is described as a young teenage boy who is clearly not looked after at home. Note how the text describes him:

He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.

Mrs. Jones comments on the fact that his face his dirty, and adjectives in the description above such as "frail" and "willow-wild" suggest that he is very thin and gangly. In addition, "frail" suggests that there is something breakable about him or that he is particularly weak. We can also infer that he has nobody to look after him at home. Roger himself says, "there's nobody home at my house." Although he tries to steal Mrs. Jones' bag, it is clear from how he acts later on in the story that he is a good boy at heart. He obeys instructions, and behaves respectfully towards Mrs. Jones, and they have a pleasant evening together. He shows that he is able to reform himself and change his ways, and we remain convinced by the end of the tale that he will do his best to change his life and to make something of himself thanks to his encounter with Mrs. Jones.

Why do Roger's actions change in "Thank You, M'am"?

Roger decides to stay with Mrs. Jones because she takes an interest in him.

Although we do not know much about Roger, we can infer that he does not have a very good home life.  There is no one home at 11 o’clock at night to either feed him or wash his face.  He decides to try purse-snatching because he wants some blue suede shoes.

Mrs. Jones seems to alter the course of Roger’s life.  He is likely not an experienced purse snatcher when he tries to grab her handbag.  Instead of being frightened and giving him the purse, she grabs him and takes him home.  Mrs. Jones feels sorry for Roger, and decides to use the experience to teach Roger some life lessons.

“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.

Mrs. Jones wants Roger to understand that he is at a turning point in his life.  He does not have to face a life of crime.  If Roger decides to become a purse snatcher, it will not help him get what he wants.  Mrs. Jones wants Roger to appreciate that life is difficult, but that he can still make a choice.

The first choice Roger has to make is whether or not to stay.  This is a struggle for him.  If he leaves and runs away, he can go back into the woodwork.  However, if he stays he may learn something about himself and about life.  Roger decides to stay.

The woman was sitting on the day-bed. After a while she said, “I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.”
There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned, but not knowing he frowned.

Mrs. Jones also tells Roger that if he wanted the money, he would have been better off asking for it.  But for Roger, the shoes are symbolic.  He feels as if he has no one.  Wherever his family is, they are not there to look after him.  Roger’s purse-snatching attempt was a cry for help, and Mrs. Jones recognized that.

We do not know for sure that Roger changed, but the “contact” with Mrs. Jones seems to have altered the course he was on.  Roger first does not flee, and then asks Mrs. Jones if she needs anything.  Although the two part company, Roger has had an interaction that will give him pause before he finds himself on the street again in the middle of the night. 

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 and why do Roger's actions change in "Thank You, M'am"?

Roger is first introduced when he attempts to snatch Mrs. Jones' purse in an almost empty street. But soon, he realizes he has put himself in danger. His target, Mrs. Jones, proves to be too strong for him. He gets caught by her. He uses all of his strength to break away from her hold but fails to do so.

After some time, Roger finds the door of Mrs. Jones' house ajar. He feels a strong urge to run, but he isn’t sure. Before he can decide, Mrs. Jones resumes the conversation.

A little later, when Mrs. Jones goes “behind a screen” in another corner of the room to fetch a “gas plate and an icebox”, Roger could have easily run away. Even the purse is kept on day-bed close to him. But he doesn't do so. It’s because “he did not want to be mistrusted now.”

A thief a few moments ago now wishes to be trusted and believed. More than running away with money or valuables, he desires to bask in the warmth of human affection. This is certainly some transformation.

How does this happen? The warmth of motherly love effects this change in him. A stranger, whom Roger had tried to rob, offers him food and drink. She is the first person under the sun who bothers about his dirty face and disheveled look. She offers him her towel and comb to make himself presentable. Later, she shares personal information with him, much like a mother or a very close friend or relative would do.

Roger has been a thief. The society has always looked down upon him. However, the tenderness of human love and trust moves him so much that he ends up being changed into a sensitive young man from a petty thief.

How does Roger's motivation in "Thank You, M'am" affect his actions?

Roger's initial lack of motivation is what causes him to make the unwise decision to steal money to pay for the object of his desire--a pair of blue suede shoes. Even more foolish is the woman from whom he tries to purse-snatch--Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Roger is a downtrodden young man who apparently receives little attention at home. But he is also a coward, choosing to attack a woman late at night, assuming she will be an easy target. Instead of finding a job and earning the money to pay for the shoes, he decides to turn to crime. Whether Mrs. Jones' act of kindness in sharing her meager meal with him motivates Roger to change his ways is uncertain, but he probably uses the $10 given to him by the kind woman to buy the pair of shoes the next morning. Roger's farewell to Mrs. Jones--"Thank you, m'am"--indicates that he may have genuinely appreciated the gesture, possibly motivating him to think twice before making the same mistake again.

How are the characterization elements of Roger presented in "Thank You, M'am"?

First, reread the story carefully, underlining or making notes of everything about Roger that give you ideas about what sort of person he is. For example, when we first meet him, he tries to snatch the purse of a woman all alone on a city street at eleven o'clock at night. This act suggests desperation, but it doesn't instantly prove he's a bad person; after all, he may be homeless and starving and finds that he has no choice but to get money or food any way possible--we don't know yet. (Notice that Mrs. Jones doesn't assume he's bad, either.) 

He knows enough to say "Yes'm" to her instead of "Yeah" or worse, which suggests that he isn't yet cold, cynical and hard. He probably doesn't live on the streets and run in a gang. 

Keep gathering hints like this until you've found all you can, then check your notes and decide what this tells you about Roger as a young man. Is he simply an example of misguided youth? Is he misunderstood? Does he simply lack adult supervision and respect? When you decide, you state your understanding of the sort of person he is as your thesis statement, then use all of your examples from the story to argue for that characterization.