Thank You Ma Am Tone

“Thank you Ma’am” Analysis In the story “Thank You Ma’am,” Langston Hughes uses tone and characterization to contribute to the plot of the story. Langston Hughes has wrote many short stories. The short story was about how a young man tries to steal an old woman’s purse. She caught him and watches over him for a day. The tone of the story is reflective. The story is reflective, because it shows how the young man looks back on what he did to the old lady. The young man figures out stealing is not the answer to getting what you want. If he wants to get the things he wants, he needs to work for it. The old woman tells the young man about how she was able to get the things she wanted by working hard, when she also wanted to steal. There are
two characters in this short story, the young man and the old woman. The young man is a dirty stealer. He doesn’t have anyone who takes care of him, so he was never taught what not to do and to do. He tried to steal to be able to buy blue suede shoes. He doesn’t know the consequences. The old woman convinces him to change his ways and not to do the wrong things like stealing. He reflects on what he did and listens to the old woman’s advice. The old woman is a very wise fat lady. She teaches the young man how to act and lets him know that stealing is not the answer to getting what you want. She told him about how she also felt that was the answer when she was young, but she realized she was wrong. The old woman told him about how if you want something you must work for it. She also cleans the young man up. She is the first family figure for the boy. The main point of the short story is to show that hard work is the best answer to getting the things you want. The characterization and tone makes “Thank you Ma’am” a very good reflection story. It teaches that if you really want something, hard work will get it for you.