Thank You Ma Am Summary

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In the story, Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes, a boy named Roger tries to steal a woman’s purse and fails. Even after this incident, the woman takes him to her home. She helps him, and while doing that, a noteworthy lesson is evident, “You can only understand people if you see them in yourself.” In the beginning of the story, Roger attempted to steal her purse, but consequently getting a painful kick. Usually someone would call the police or some other form of help, but instead she lets the thief inside her own home! Maybe she has another reason behind this. She could be relating to his situation right now in her mind. Especially in his condition, “Um-hum! And your face is dirty.” He looked about fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.” Possibly, she could even understand his situation, and even wants to help him with his habit of stealing since she was pretty firm when handling him, “After that the woman said, “Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here.” She still held him. But she bent down enough to permit him to stoop and pick up the purse. Then she said, “Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?” Firmly…show more content…
Jones (The woman), feeds the thief and helps him wash his face! Now that is an unusual reaction to a robber. She could feel empathy for him even though he is a thief. She even asks him to be her son, “The woman said, “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is wash your face. Are you hungry?” Would you ask a thief to be your son? We know she must feel something for him, most likely empathy because she wants to wash his face, feed him, and all that. You would think it’s pity, but actually since she took it one step further, and asked him to be her son, it must be empathy. If it is, and the definition of empathy to share the feelings of someone, she must have done something that made her relate to him, in which case she also see herself in
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