Thank You Ma’am
Langston Hughes
1."Eat some more, son"- who is the speaker? What is offered by the speaker to the listener? What features of the speaker's character are revealed in the story?
✓ The speaker here is Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones in Langston Hughes' short story Thank You Ma'am.
✓ Mrs. Jones understood that the boy was hungry. So she cut him, a half of her ten-cent cake.
✓ The protagonist of the story, Mrs. Jones is the stern yet immensely generous woman whom Roger attempts to rob. Introduced as a "large woman with a large purse", she is at once empathetic and perceptive. However, through her words and actions it is gradually revealed that she is also amiable and altruistic. Despite Roger's attempt to steal her purse, she takes him into her home. She feels sympathy for the urchin. She feeds him and gives him money to buy his coveted blue suede shoes. Thus the positive motherly attitude of the lady transforms Roger into a new person.
2.Why did Roger in Thank You Ma'am not run away though he found the door open?
Roger tried to snatch the purse of Mrs. Jones to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. But he was caught red handed. Instead of handling him, over to the police, she dragged the boy into her house. She treated Roger with motherly affection. She asked him to go to the sink and wash his dirty face. She also offered him food. Thus Mrs. Jones showed faith in Roger. Thus, Roger's attitude to life changed. He didn't want to break the faith of Mrs. Jones. So, he didn't run away though he found the door open. Thus the positive motherly attitude of the lady transforms Roger into a new person.
3.Justify the title of the story, Thank You Ma’am.
The story Thank You Ma'am unveils how Mrs. Jones with her affectionate and motherly attitude helped a boy named Roger, to transform into a good person. Roger tried to snatch the purse of Mrs. Jones to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. Instead of handling him, over to the police, she dragged the boy into her house. She gave him food and money to buy his coveted blue suede shoes. She also offered him self-esteem and taught what right or wrong in life was. So at the end the boy wanted to say some words of gratitude but he only managed to say “thank you”. So the boy’s feeling of gratitude towards the woman strikes the essence of the story making the title apt.
4. "He didn't want to be mistrusted anymore"-Who is he? Why did not he want to be misunderstood?
✓ Here 'he' is Roger, the central character of the story Thank You Ma'am.
✓ The story is about the change of a young boy, Roger. While trying to snatch the purse of Mrs. Jones he was caught red handed. He thinks that the lady may send him into jail. Instead, she dragged him into her house. She takes care for the boy and treat him as her own child. She also taught him what
right or wrong in life was. So, when the boy is left alone in the room with the purse, he could have easily escaped but he did not want to be mistrusted anymore.
5. What picture of society do you get in Thank You Ma’am?
The saying “there is darkness under the lamp” is very fitting for the story. The story clearly shows that behind the dazzling of American society there is also a dark world of poverty, misery and crime. The boy Roger is a denizen of the dark world of America. Boy like Roger does not have anyone to look after him, nor to cook a meal for him. Mrs. Jones is a working lady but she too has to work hard to earn her bread and butter. The lady also has a past which she does not like disclose. In spite of such previous life, the milk of human kindness has not totally dried up in the mind of Mrs. Jones. So she wants to help another victim of social discrimination. That is why she changes Roger into a good man with her motherly affection and love.
Notes Credit - Alamgir Shaikh (M.A In English Literature)