"thank you Ma'am"
"Thank You Ma'am" by Langston Hughes is a short story about a short young boy named Roger and an old fat lady with a fat purse named Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Mrs. Jones was walking home by herself after work, and as she was walking a skinny young boy ran up and tried to take her purse. Mrs. Jones asked what was the purpose of trying to snatch her purse, so she didn't have to use violent force and kick him in his private area. An the boy responded with " I didn't aim for that" struggling to speak. So she picks up the boy and asks what was his intention then and he does not answer so she tells him to go into the house and washup his face. The reason the boy wanted her purse was because he wanted a new pair of suede shoes. Mrs. Jones believed him and thought of a way to make Roger earn the shoes, she was trying to teach him it's not safe or nice to steal from people and do things she shouldn't be doing. She explained to him that she is not the only young child that has done bad things also but things that she wouldn't tell anybody because its for her to keep to herself. After she told the young boy to look presentable for dinner she told him that she had a present for him. She pulled out ten dollars for the boy because she felt like the boy just wanted the blue suede shoes, and she explained that kids can't have everything that they want. She told the boy to be safe and all he could say was " Thank You Ma'am" knowing that he wanted to say more than that because nobody has never done anything for him like that before.
Quotes
After the lady was being followed around the corner and then had dropped the boy on the ground then asks " Was I bothering you when I turned that corner" because the young boy had run up on her and try to snatch her pocketbook. Then she throws him on the ground wondering why does he want it and he wants it because he needs and wants a new pair of blue suede shoes. When she asks the boy and he tries to lie about why he wanted the pocket book she told the boy. Paragraph 3-8 this was said “If you think that that contact is not going to last awhile, you got another thought coming. When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones." As this was said she takes Roger to her home to teach him some manners and on why he shouldn't snatch her pocketbook. She feels like if she can teach Roger some manners he can feel good about himself and she will give him the money for the shoes as he asked for. Paragraph 11-23 this was said. " I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes" This is what Roger said this is one of the morals of the story, the blue suede shoes is the reason why Roger tried to rob Mrs. Jones for her pocketbook and now thats the reason why she brought him into her home just to teach him manners to teach him being good doesn't come with a price.