Thank You M Am, By Langston Hughes

Sometimes, short stories can teach you life-long lessons called morals. For example, the story “Thank you M’am” is one of them. Written by Langston Hughes, the story “Thank you M’am” is about a teenage boy who tries to steal a lady’s purse. In return, he gets a surprising and possibly life-changing reaction. When people come across challenging times in life, it can be easier to go on the wrong path than the right path, because the right path is tough - but eventually it leads to a more positive, and better, outcome.
Roger is a character who faces many challenges, and in the beginning of “Thank You M’am,” Roger resorts to crime because of these challenges. In paragraph one, it says, “...when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse.” This shows that Roger’s response to his challenges was to steal from someone. He may have responded this way because
Jones also faced challenges in her past and was able to conquer them, become a stronger person, and help motivate other people. An example of evidence that supports this claim is said by Mrs. Jones herself, “‘You thought I was going to say but, didn’t you? You thought I was gonna say, but I didn’t snatch people’s pocketbooks. Well, I wasn’t going to say that.’” This quote demonstrates a deeper connection that Mrs. Jones has that relates to the actions done by Roger. Through her attitude, readers are able to infer that her words have a deeper meaning than what was originally thought. The second quote that portrays how Mrs. Jones was able to overcome challenges in her life, and use them to become a stronger person is, “The woman said, ‘You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?’” The author is portraying Mrs. Jones as a character who is determined to improve the life of the small boy whose made bad choices in the past. Readers are able to infer that Mrs. Jones and Roger had different ways of coping for their similar