Question

What does Roger say when Mrs. Jones asks him why he tried to snatch her pocketbook? What does Mrs. Jones say in response? How do her words affect him? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your statements.

Answer 1

Answer:

The story of "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes tells how a young boy's attempts to steal from a woman failed and how that same woman helped him by cleaning and feeding him.

Explanation:

Roger wanted a pair of new blue suede shoes. So, he decided to steal money from people who are rich, or looked rich to him. But when Roger snatched the pocketbook from Mrs. Jones' shoulders that night, she asked him why he wanted to steal it from her to which he replied that it was for that shoes.

When she heard about his reason, Mrs. Jones told him that he can simply ask her for it rather than do the act of stealing from anyone which is a bad thing. This response from someone who he never know and the person he failed to steal from shocked Roger. This is evident in the narration where the speaker states "The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very long  pause."

Her words shocked her, for he couldn't think anyone who had just been a victim would actually offer to give or help her attacker. By the end of the story, he got the ten dollars to buy the suede shoes to which he could barely utter "Thank You, Ma'am" to her.