THANK YOU MA'AM

                 THANK YOU MA'AM

                                         J.M.Langston Hughes

1. What happened to Mrs Jones when she was coming home? What did she do immediately?Do you think she was right in doing that?

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones was returning home from the hotel's beauty shop around eleven o'clock at night. A weak, naughty-looking boy was chasing her and trying to snatch her bag. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and fell to the ground. 

Mrs. Jones kicked him, told him to pick up the bag and grabbed the front of his shirt tightly. She then dragged him home and fed him.

Mrs. Jones' initial behavior was highly emotional. Any woman would do that if she was robbed of her hard earned money. Jones later proved to be a loving mother. Roger thanked her. So her behavior could be considered sympathetic.

2. Discuss the character of Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones.

Or What are the characteristics of the character Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones in the short story "Thank You Ma'am"?

In this short story 'Thank You Ma'am' Mrs Jones is a strong woman with a soft heart. At the beginning of the story, when the boy is trying to snatch her bag, she catches him and takes him home without handing him over to the police. She takes the boy to her home and asks him to wash his face, comb his hair and feeds him. This unexpected show  of motherly love and kindness moves Roger deeply. Her forgiving nature is evident when she gives Roger $10 to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. The lessons she learned from past mistakes, helps her  to convince the boy that it is better to achieve something through hard work than through dishonest and illegal means. So she tells Roger----

"Shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet"

She wants to guide the boy by the example of her own life rather than unsettling him by questioning him about his past. And this shows that Mrs. Jones's way of thinking is quite different. Instead of taking harsh measures against a boy,  she tries to correct the boy's mistakes like a strict mother.

3. Sketch the character of Roger in "Thank You Ma'am".

At the beginning of the story, Roger is a poor, orphaned boy who wears jeans and tennis shoes.

He is weak, dirty and his hair is messy. He is seen chasing down the pavement to snatch the bag from Mrs Jones and fall to the ground. He is detached from any sense of morality and lies unhesitatingly. Mrs. Johnes brings him home, puts the money bag next to him to show her trust in him, makes him wash his face, feeds him, gives him money to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. The chemistry of love washes away his sins. He realises the value of faith. Even if the door is open, he does not escape.  Thus Roger becomes an example of the transition from immorality to morality and from sin to holiness.

4. Why could not the boy say anything else other than "Thank you,ma'am" to Mrs Jones.

The boy wanted to say more to Mrs. Jones than "Thank You, Ma'am" but couldn't bring himself to say it. When Mrs.Jones caught him, the boy was afraid that she would hand him over to the police. Instead she took him home to teach him the difference between right and wrong. Her concern and sympathy for Roger touched Roger's heart. She treated him like his own son and fed him. She did not ask him any personal questions. Before saying goodbye, She gave the boy $10 to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.

This rare display of motherly affection, kindness and faith by Mrs. Jones filled the heart of Roger with a deep sense of gratitude and unable to find the right words to express his feelings at that moment, he could only mutter a faint thank you before the door closed.