Was there ever an elder calling you about your younger behavior? Or maybe you made a mistake and were given a second chance by someone.
Langston Hughes’s poem, “Thanks, ma’am”, depicts Roger as a young boy walking home from school late at night with Mrs. Luella Bates Washington. He tries and steals her purse but the bag is so heavy and Mrs. Jones quite muscular, he only manages to break the strap. He is kicked by her and grabbed by his shirt. She asks him if he feels embarrassed. Roger says yes. Mrs. Jones sees his dirty face and dishevelled hair. He asks her if anyone takes care of him. If he does not answer, she will take him with her to his home. She will also tell him that after he leaves, he will never forget how he met her. Roger and Mrs. Jones then arrive at their home and ask him if his meal was good. He tried to take his purse and he was hungry. But he wanted to buy blue suede shoes. Roger denies that Roger could have asked him for the money. Roger was just a young man and couldn’t afford the items he wanted, Mrs. Jones said. Like the teenager, she does embarrassing things. Roger, however, isn’t embarrassed when she asks her about her day. Instead, she speaks about her work in a beauty salon.
Roger and Mrs. Jones had never experienced the luxury of living comfortably. Roger is significantly younger than Mrs. Luella, but Washington Jones has more life experience dealing this sad truth. Roger is in dire need of her compassion when she meets her. After Roger informed her of his absence, she took him to her home and told him to wash him’s face. Mrs. Jones wasn’t rich either. She lived in a boardinghouse with a group of women. Roger was given canned milk, dollars cakes and canned food. Roger didn’t care what the meal was, he just wanted to eat. Mrs. Jones noticed the expression on Roger’s face as he ate and decided not to press him to tell her his story. This showed her respect for each character and helped to build trust between them. Roger comes to appreciate Mrs. Luella Bates Washington, Jones over time and is grateful for her kindness.
Mrs. Jones offers Roger ten dollars in exchange for blue suede shoes. He is told not to steal her purse. Roger is unable to express his gratitude to Mrs. Jones when she brings him to her door. He can’t get Mrs. Jones’s words out of his mouth before closing the door. Roger will never again see her.
Langston Hughes’s short story titled “Thanks, Ma’am” demonstrates that compassion is a powerful tool for change. Hughes supports Hughes’s theme through Roger’s reaction to Ms. Jones’ treatment. When Roger attempts to take her purse, Ms. Jones shows compassion. She then drags Roger to her house, lets him wash himself, and allows him to eat dinner with the family. Roger makes one of her most profound and kindest confessions. He confesses to Ms. Jones that he tried to take his purse to buy suede shoes. She gives Roger the ten-dollar bill out of her purse to buy shoes. This is her most generous and merciful moment. She does all this even though she’s obviously very poor. We can see how much she cares about others and the sacrifices she makes to help them. We won’t know what Roger’s future will look like after this event.
