Has an elder ever called you out for your behavior when you were younger? Or did you make a mistake and someone gave you a second chance? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes depicting an encounter between Roger, a teenage boy, and Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, an elderly woman returning home from work late at night. He attempts to steal her purse, but since it is so heavy and Mrs. Jones is quite fat, he just ends up breaking the strap. She kicks him and grabs him by the shirt, asking him if he's ashamed of himself. Roger admits yes. Mrs. Jones realizes that her face is dirty and her hair is disheveled. She asks if anyone cares about him. If he answers "no", she will take him home and tell him that when he is done with him, he will never forget that he met her. Then, when Roger and Mrs. Jones arrive home, she asks him if he has eaten. She assumes he must be hungry because he tried to steal her purse, but instead wanted to use her money to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. When Mrs. Jones tells Roger that he could have asked for money, he doesn't believe it. Jones told Roger that he was young and couldn't afford what he wanted. She admits that, as a teenager, she does some very embarrassing things. While eating, she refrains from embarrassing Roger by not asking him anything else about his life; Instead, he talks about her job in a hotel beauty salon where she meets women of all colors. Living comfortably was something neither Mrs. Jones nor Roger knew very well. Since Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is significantly older than Roger, she has more life experience dealing with this unfortunate reality of living with what you have rather than what you need. She is full of compassion and has an idea of ​​Roger's situation when she meets him with his face covered in dirt. She takes him home, tells him to wash his face, then begins to feed him after he makes it clear that no one is home. Mrs. Jones herself was not a wealthy person either, she lived in a boarding house with a group of other women. She served Roger canned milk, dollar cakes, and canned food. The type of meal didn't matter to Roger, he was just happy to be able to eat something. Mrs. Jones saw the expression on his face as he ate and chose not to pressure him to explain his life story. This choice shows to what extent she knows how to respect each individual, which helps to develop trust between the characters. Over time, Roger learns to respect Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones just as she does for him and is grateful for what she has done for him. At the end of the story, Mrs. Jones gives Roger ten dollars to buy blue. suede shoes and tells her not to steal her purse or any other, because shoes bought with stolen money cause more problems that are not worth it. When she walks him to the door and bids him good night, Roger wants to say more than “thank you, ma'am,” but he can't think of anything that would suit her. When he turns to Mrs. Jones at the door, he can barely get the words "thank you" out of his mouth before closing the door. Roger will never see her again.Keep in mind: this is just a sample.Get a personalized essay now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayThe central theme of the short story by.