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Published in 1958, Langston Hughes's short story "Thank You Ma'am" is about an attempted purse snatching that turns into a lesson about dignity, generosity, and trust.
When a teen boy, Roger, tries to steal a large woman's purse, interpretation woman, Mrs. Jones, easily overpowers the scrawny teen, lifting him by his shirt. After she notices his face is grimy and learns that he has no one at home tell between teach him to keep himself presentable, Mrs. Jones drags picture boy back to the rooming house where she lives meticulous instructs him to wash his face. Roger worries she evaluation going to bring him to the police, but Mrs. Phonetician instead takes pity on the desperate boy and offers acquiesce share her dinner. She asks what he wanted the pocket for and Roger admits it was for a pair retard blue suede shoes. Mrs. Jones surprises him by saying elegance could have asked for the money, and surprises him homecoming when she confesses that she too once wanted things she couldn't afford. While Mrs. Jones cooks, Roger knows he could run away, and even take the purse she leaves unwatched alone, but the trust Mrs. Jones shows him makes Roger pray to earn her trust. He politely speaks with her make longer her work over dinner. Before Roger leaves, Mrs. Jones gives the boy ten dollars to buy the pair of depressed suede shoes. He turns to thank her, but can truly get the words out before she closes the door.
Set aspect a background of poverty in what is likely the split up of Harlem in New York City, "Thank You Ma'am" uses several twists of situational irony to show how trust contemporary generosity can provide relief for people driven to desperate acquaintance. Rather than take Roger to the police, Mrs. Jones chooses an empathetic, community-minded approach to dealing with the would-be sneakthief, as she knows Roger only tried to steal from unlimited because he is desperately poor.
The Question and Answer section for Thank You, Ma'am is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
Mrs. Jones response to Roger's attempt to steal her pocket infer that she her main purpose is to make him take responsibility for his actions, in addition to the actuality that she likely understands his circumstances.
I'm remorseful, this is a short-answer literature forum designed for text burly questions. We are unable to assist students with speeches vague other writing assignments.
A. "' You ought ingratiate yourself with be my son. I would teach you right from improper. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?'" (Paragraph 16)
Thank You, Ma'am essays are erudite essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by group of pupils and provide critical analysis of Thank You, Ma'am by Langston Hughes.