Thank You, Ma'am Essay Questions

Why is it significant that Mrs. Jones gives Roger money at the end of the story?

The ten dollars Mrs. Jones gives to Roger is symbolic of her generosity. Even though he tries to steal her purse, Mrs. Jones takes pity on Roger, choosing to respond to his thieving with understanding and generosity rather than punitive measures. This ironic reversal of expectations at first confuses Roger, and he isn't sure whether the trust Mrs. Jones extends to him, when she leaves him alone in her room with her purse sitting on the daybed, is for real. The disarming nature of her generous spirit causes Roger to politely listen to her and do as she says. Gradually, he no longer suspects she is going to report him to the police. But he is unprepared for her to give him the ten dollars he wants to buy blue suede shoes. The generous gift leaves him nearly speechless on her stoop, as he fails to articulate the gratitude he has for her. Through the story, Hughes illustrates how consideration of the circumstances that drive people to desperate acts and a generous-spirited approach to sharing resources can be an alternative to punishment.

What role does poverty play in "Thank You, Ma'am"?

Poverty is one of the major themes in "Thank You, Ma'am." Hughes makes Roger's lack of secure income obvious by having the boy attempt to steal Mrs. Jones's purse and through Roger's admission that "there's nobody home at my house." Unlike Roger, Mrs. Jones has a job and money. However, she is also poor, living in a multi-tenant rooming house with cheap food and meager kitchen appliances. She also works a service-industry job at a hotel that requires her to work late into the evening. Mrs. Jones's poverty is made most explicit when she tells Roger that she was once as desperate as him, and that she did things she is ashamed to speak of. Ultimately, poverty plays a significant role in the story because it enables Mrs. Jones to understand Roger's plight and to take pity on him rather than punish him.

What role does irony play in "Thank You, Ma'am"?

The plot of Langston Hughes's "Thank You, Ma'am" revolves around several key instances of situational irony. The ironic undermining of Roger's and the reader's expectations begins when Mrs. Jones is not at all frightened by Roger's attempted theft; instead, she easily and confidently lifts him by his shirtfront and reprimands him. The next instance of irony occurs when she decides to hold the boy captive herself rather than bring him to the police, treating him more like her own misbehaving son than a criminal. Mrs. Jones continues to surprise Roger and the reader with her unexpectedly trusting behavior, leaving Roger alone with her purse in her room while she prepares their dinner. Mrs. Jones also admits that she was once in a position similar to Roger's, and that she did things for money she would be ashamed to speak of. The final instance of irony sees Mrs. Jones give Roger—the would-be purse-snatcher—the ten dollars he wants in order to buy shoes. Ultimately, the many twists of irony illustrate how people such as Mrs. Jones can defy expectations.