The theme of trust is evident in Langston Hughes’ short story “Thank You, M’am.”
Roger is thwarted in his attempt to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones’ pocketbook. She is strong enough to stop him in his tracks, and gives him a swift kick in his “sitter.” Instead of picking up the heavy purse by herself, while still holding him, she commands him to pick it up for her. Although she still has him in...
The theme of trust is evident in Langston Hughes’ short story “Thank You, M’am.”
Roger is thwarted in his attempt to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones’ pocketbook. She is strong enough to stop him in his tracks, and gives him a swift kick in his “sitter.” Instead of picking up the heavy purse by herself, while still holding him, she commands him to pick it up for her. Although she still has him in hand, she does not pick up the purse herself, instead she trusts that he will not try to break free and run off with it.
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 her purse. Then she said, “Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?”
After assessing his situation, she realizes he is unkempt and hungry, so she drags him back to her rooming house. While leaving the door wide open, Mrs. Jones directs him to wash up. He has to make a choice whether to obey her or to run away. She trusts he will do as he is told, and he does.
The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run!
After the pair has a short discussion about Mrs. Jones past, she places her purse on the bed in plain sight and within Roger’s reach while she retreats behind a curtain to make a simple meal. The pocketbook is within his reach, and the door is wide open; it is his chance to grab the bag and run. He does not. In fact, he wants to be trusted and even offers to run to the store for anything Mrs. Jones needs. At this point, he wants to prove he can be a trustworthy young man.
In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day-bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.
Roger and Mrs. Jones develop a mutual trust for each other, which he does not want to destroy. For her part, Mrs. Jones rewards Roger for his change of heart by giving him the money for the “blue suede shoes” he covets, which were the reason he initially attempts to steal the pocketbook.
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