What is the moral lesson of Thank you Ma'am?
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 11:00pm at night, carrying a large, heavy purse, he thinks she looks like an easy target for theft. This impression could not be more mistaken.
Why did Langston Hughes write Thank you Ma am?
The prosecutor has performed his job in pursuing this case vigorously and fairly. However the charges really beg the larger question - what did the President and Vice President know about these and related matters, and when did they know it? I believe it ...
What is the summary of the story Thank you Ma am?
The story Thank You, Ma'am by Langston Hughes narrates the story of a teen boy, Roger, who tries to snatch the purse of Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones is walking home one night, when a boy tries to snatch her purse. But she is a large woman and so he is not able to overpower her to take the purse, but merely breaks its strap.
What are the themes of "Thank You, M'am"?
"Thank You, Ma'am" and Other Short Stories Themes Kindness. The main theme in this short story is the power of kindness. The story shows how a kind gesture can soften the heart of a thieving teenager. Forgiveness. When Roger gets caught, he expects punishment. However, he receives kindness and forgiveness instead. Trust. Hughes tries to depict trust as a give and take relationship. ...
What is the short story "Thank you Ma'am" about?
Langston Hughes' short story Thank you, Ma'am is about 'second chances.'. After their initial encounter, she quickly assesses the teenager's situation and realizes that he has no one to care for him. She didn't want to take him to the police, as he was very skinny and obviously hungry.
What is the meaning of "Thank you Ma'am"?
He wrote about African-American life and experience. Thank You Ma'am is about what happens when a teenage boy and an older working woman collide on a Harlem street. 4:37.
Who is the author of "Thank you Ma'am"?
Although they never see each other again, she manages to change the course of his life in a brief period of time. Thank You, Ma'am by Langston Hughes, tells the story of Mrs. Jones, an elderly woman walking home, and Roger, a teenager who tries to steal her purse so he can buy a new pair of blue suede shoes.
Who wrote "Thank you Ma'am"?
Thank You, Ma’am. Langston Hughes. “Thank You, Ma'am” is a American short story written by Langston Hughes. The story was published in 1958 and it is a great example of the short story form in general. It’s….
What did the boy say to Mrs. Bates?
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.
Who narrates "Thank you Ma'am"?
Narrated in the third person by an unnamed limited-omniscient narrator , "Thank You Ma'am" begins with Mrs. Jones walking home at eleven p.m. when Roger, the story's protagonist, tries to steal her purse.
What does Mrs Jones instruct Roger to do?
At her home, which is a large single room in a rooming house full of other poor people, Mrs. Jones instructs Roger to wash his face using warm water and a towel.
Who is the woman in "Thank you M'am"?
Empathy, Kindness, and Punishment. Langston Hughes’s “Thank You, M’am” tells the story of a young boy, Roger, who meets an older woman, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, while attempting to steal her purse.
What does "Thank you M'am" mean?
“Thank You, M’am” demonstrates that individuals make better choices—and even become more upstanding, more moral people —when they are honest about their shortcomings and mistakes. A more stereotypical, less nuanced version of this story might have blamed or excused Roger ’s attempted theft of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones ’s purse on his income, race, or class. Instead, through observing the series of decisions made by Roger and Mrs. Jones, Hughes’s story presents a more complex…
What is the theme of "Thank you Ma'am"?
Though the themes in "Thank you, Ma'am" are serious, Hughes employs humor throughout the story, often in a way that surprises the reader. The opening paragraph begins with something scary: an attempted robbery. But by the end of the first paragraph, the tables have turned and the victim has become the one in a position of power. Mrs. Jones kicks Roger while he's sprawled on the ground. One might expect her to grab her purse and run for help. Instead, she hauls Roger up and shakes him "until his teeth rattled."
When was "Thank you Ma'am" published?
The 1950s. "Thank you, Ma'am" was published in 1958, but even without this knowledge, readers will be able to tell from the text that the story does not take place in recent years. The names of the characters are not common names today, but Roger was one of the most popular names given to babies in the 1940s and 1950s.
What does Mrs Jones do to Roger?
Roger washes up, and Mrs. Jones prepares dinner. She's no longer watching Roger, and she leaves her purse unattended on the daybed. Roger could easily grab it and run. But he's come to respect Mrs. Jones. He makes a point of sitting where she can see him if she wants to look his way. He wants her to trust him. In an effort to be helpful, he asks if she needs anyone to go to the store for her. She tells him she doesn't need anything but that he can go to the store if he wants fresh milk instead of canned milk in his cocoa.
What does Roger tell Mrs Jones?
He tells her his name is Roger. She releases her grip on his shirt with instructions to go wash his face in the sink. Now that he's free, Roger can run for the door if wants. After some mental deliberation, he goes to the sink as requested. He asks Mrs. Jones if she's going to take him to jail.
What does Mrs. Luella Bates promise Roger?
Her promise to Roger that when she's done with him he's "going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones" leaves the reader with no doubt that more surprises are in store for Roger.
Where did Langston Hughes write "Thank you Ma'am"?
Langston Hughes (1902–67) wrote about African American characters and set many of his stories and poems in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City . "Thank you, Ma'am" never states where the story takes place, but readers can conclude from the text that Roger and Mrs. Jones live in a city in a northern state.
Does Mrs Jones work in a hotel?
Mrs. Jones's apartment building is described as having numerous tenants, and she works in a beauty shop in a hotel. A large hotel with busy shops that stay open late would only be found in a city. Readers can also infer that the story does not take place in a southern state.
