In the short story “Thank You M’am”, Mrs. Jones, a wise lady, teaches a young boy named Roger some lessons that could help him in life. This quote shows how Mrs. Jones is responsible by showing how she acts like a parent. “The women 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?” When Mrs. Jones says that if Roger was her son she would have taught him right from wrong, which revealed how Mrs. Jones was responsible like a mother. After her saying that she would hope for Roger to do the right thing from now on. Mrs. Jones was not only responsible, but she took care of herself and the next quote shows how she is proper. “...go to that sink and wash your face… “You
Parenting played a big role in shaping the two boys lives. Having a parental mentor is important because they assist and guide children to take the right decisions about their lives. The author had his two parents at the beginning of his life. Also, the author’s parents, especially his mother, tried to raise him in an effective way wanting him to know the right from wrong at an early age. “No mommy loves you, like I love you, she just wants you to do the right thing” (Moore 11). This quote was a live example of the author’s life with his parents. It reflected the different ways his parents used to teach him “the right thing.” Though his mother was upset from his action toward his sister, his father
People in this world today are always getting in trouble and it is very rare to find someone that will not get you in trouble. In “Thank You M’am”, Mrs. Jones did not get Roger in trouble, she taught a lesson. In my opinion, Mrs. Jones had taught Roger, a good lesson. She had brought him in as a son. Mrs. Jones has trusted him when she went out of the room. She could have given him a consequence, but instead she brought him in as a son. There are consequences when you steal or get in trouble.
Maybe you ain’t been to your supper either late as it be, have you?... then we’ll eat said the women I believe you’re hungry---- or been hungry--- to try and steal my pocketbook. (Page 74, Hughes) This proves that makes Mrs. Jones is admirable because she could have called the police and let him be punished but she thought to herself maybe this boy is hungry and he is doing this for a reason. Mrs.Jones then didn’t stop her kindness there she continues by invited him over to have supper.
Mrs. Jones shows her leadership skills in the story Thank You, Ma'am. She chose not to punish a young man Rodger, for his
"The large woman simply turned around and kicked him in the blue jeaned sitter," Though it may not seem like this is a story of learning and positive influences, so begins one of many such stories about a child being positively influenced by a parental figure in a way that will affect every decision he/she will ever make. Parents have an enormous impact on what their children do and what ideals said children believe in. Without parental interaction, children may become lost or come to accept mistaken ideals such as the rightfulness of stealing which Roger, a main character symbolizing a child, actually agrees with when the reader originally reads the story. While some children might find their way if left alone, many would become overwhelmed and their young minds would perish. In this article, two texts will be discussed that express this topic: "Thank You, Ma’am" by Langston Hughes and "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan. In the Modern Era, it is all the more important to
A mother is the first touch, voice and sight a baby has when he or she is born. They rely on their mother to provide them with a safe environment, food and comfort. Being a mother comes with great responsibility and a life long job that the work gets harder every day. Although I myself am not a mother, I have seen this job played out from my own mother who provides her children with a great life. Some mothers are not ready for this job, yet selfishly still choose to keep their children because they are too proud to allow someone else provide their baby with the life they deserve. Child abandonment is a ever rising epidemic not only in The United States, but all around the world. Child abandonment affects the mother, but more importantly,
Another characteristic the author exhibits is forgiveness. The struggles her parents cause her display this trait. For instance, Ma constantly neglects Murray as a child. Drugs and alcohol consume the parent’s lives, so Murray and her older sister do not receive the proper care they need. Also, Ma frequently spent her daughter’s money or sold their items without their consent. The readers are astonished when the author says many times that she forgives Ma and just moves on. An important scene in the story occurs when Murray looks back on her childhood and forgives her mom for all of her wrongs, and concludes her mom did the best that she could do. Many people would resent their parents after all the hardships they caused, and so does the author at first. But she finds it in her heart to forgive which shows her kindness and really displays how mature of a person she is.
A mother’s words are the ones that ring loudest in a child’s ear, are passed down from generation to generation, and the one’s that hold a special place in a child’s memory and heart forever. Expectations and guidelines are set at a young age. Morals and values are learned throughout the years, and life lessons are taught through the wisdom passed down from a mother to a daughter. Every mother has a wish for their daughter to be the best they can be. But at what point does instruction and wisdom become simply words that have been said one too many times? The short story “Girl,” written by Jamaica Kincaid is presented to the reader as a list of instructions from a mother to a daughter on how to live life to the
At the beginning of “Thank you, Ma’am,” we see how just how compassionate Mrs. Jones really is. The moment she meets Roger, she tells the boy to wash his face. “Least I can do is wash your face. Are you hungry?” This might not seem like a very compassionate thing to do at first, however, she doesn’t even know the boy, yet she has enough compassion to make sure he is clean. Then, she takes the boy inside of her house! In addition, the boy, Roger asks, “You going to take me to jail?” But Mrs. Jones doesn’t. Maybe she sees that Roger is really a good boy inside, so she shows compassion to bring out his true kindness. This makes me think that he was probably trying to steal because he had to. And when Mrs. Jones asked him if he had anyone at home, he said, “No’m.” Mrs.
In the short story, Thank You Ma’am, by Longston Hughs a powerful message is communicated. The story begins on an empty street in New York City where Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jone’s purse. Roger has to decide between running away or going with her. At her home she lets him wash his face, eat dinner and she gives him $10s to buy blue suede shoes. All this generosity leaves Roger speechless at the end of the story. He could barely say “Thank you ma’am”. And then Roger never saw her again. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones has every reason to reprisal against Roger, but doesn’t. As readers we are left with the question, why does Mr. Luella Bates Washington Jones take Roger home? I believe that Mrs. Luella took roger home to teach him how to be selfless not selfish. An important lesson we seem to assume Roger lacks.
In this essay I will be comparing “She,” by Matthew Brooks Treacy and the relationship with his mother to my relationship with my father, and the lessons taught through experiences that occurred. My father taught the concept of moral obligation, in a similar fashion to Traecy’s mother teaching him to use his hands, through errands, that influenced my decision to make ethical decisions throughout my life.
Although the daughter’s shame in her mother is evident, she is also prideful of her as well. The strong love that the mother and daughter share is pervasive throughout the story. The story is being told by the daughter after she is all grown up. The fact that Jones uses such vivid detail on the mother’s preparation for her daughters first day of school shows that the daughter loved her mom and all that she did for her. The daughter recalls that her mother spent a lot of time preparing her when she says, “My mother has uncharacteristically spent nearly an hour on my hair that morning, plaiting and replaiting so that now my scalp tingles.” (Jones) She also remembers that her “pale green slip and underwear are new, the underwear having come three to a plastic package with a little girl on the front who appears to be dancing.” (Jones) The daughter having remembered details like these illustrate that she has an immense love and takes pride
“The robb’d that smiles, steals something from the thief; He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.” This paradox is demonstrated through the short story, Thank You, Ma’am, as a woman that goes by Mrs. Jones. Helps this fourteen year old straggly boy, that goes by the name Roger find the real answer to life. As Mrs. Jones takes him into her home, even though the boy tried to steal her purse. She teaches him that you don’t need to steal if you want something in life. You could just ask, because someone would be willing to show an act of kindness. She forgives the boy for trying to steal her purse, because everyone sins and no one's perfect. We all have sinned and we just have to live with
In Langston Hughes short story "Thank you, Ma'am" Mrs.Luella Bates Washington Jones shows the reader her many personality characteristics. First, in the story she shows she is bossy. She makes roger pick up her pocketbook. Next, she shows she is compassionate by not criticizing him of what he has done. She even tell him that she has done things like him she she was young that she isn't happy about. Last, she is kind with letting him come back to her house to wash his face and feeding him. Mrs.Luella Bates Washington Jones is a character who has many characteristics, but is a very powerful
“The boy wanted to say something other than “‘Thank You, M'am”’ to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but although his lips moved, he couldn’t even say that as he turned at the foot of the barren stoop and looked at the large woman in the door”(130). Langston Hughes wrote an enduring short story called “Thank You Ma’m” that starts off with an old lady strolling an urban city at about eleven o'clock at night. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington-- otherwise known as “a large old lady” (10) teaches a lesson to Roger-- a thief searching for money to buy blue suede shoes. A central idea of “Thank You, Ma’m” is that believing in someone, despite extraordinary circumstances can change someone for the better.