Ethank You Ma Am Analysis

There are rumors, rumors of what people call ¨random acts of kindness¨, which are rarely talked about in our world today, but can carry great importance. Although, such acts may seem seemingless to some, to others a simple act can change their life or perspective, such as in the short story, ¨Thank You Ma'am¨ written by Langston Hughes. In this short story, the author explains the relationship between a skinny boy named Roger, who attempted to steal Mrs. Jones´s pocketbook, but due to her large size he took something more valuable. Typically, if someone confronts a robber, one would take them to the police, though this is not the situation with Mrs. Jones. Instead, she shows Roger right from wrong, along with the affection and kindness of

Roger was caught in the act of attempted robbery by Mrs. Jones, where she was grabbing the boy by his shirt and pushing him to the ground. With roger begging to be release, Mrs. Jones notices his dirty face-asking if he has anybody at ¨home to tell [him] to wash it¨ (Hughes). With Roger living alone, and having no family, he replies with a simple no; but in a turn of events, she replies and says, ¨then [your face] will get washed this evening¨ (Hughes). With this, one can conclude that Mrs. Jones cared, and felt possibly sad for Roger, since he was so desperate for money, that he attempted robbery; and has no one to tell him right from wrong. Furthermore, if a teenager were trying to rob someone, one would not simply act with the type of kindness like Mrs. Jones, and offer to help clean the thief's face; knowing he has no family, and therefore no one to guide him through the way he should look and act. Toward the end of the story, Roger confessed that he meant to steal her pocketbook in order to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes, with this disappointing Mrs. Jones. After the two´s dinner Mrs. Jones prepared, she led Roger out of her home, handing him a ten dollar bill, saying ¨do not make the mistake of [stealing anybody´s pocketbook]-because shoes...like that will burn your feet¨ (Hughes). Due to Roger´s confession behind the ¨needed¨ money, Mrs. Jones could relate to his