Thank You Ma'am 

                                    -Langston Hughes

1) Justify the title of the story 'Thank You Ma'am'. 

Ans- The word 'thank you' expresses gratitude but the title expresses more than just gratitude. This story is about a boy named Roger who decides to steal a purse to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. But this attempt of stealing changes his life and helps to understand the worth achieving something through hard work. When he tries to snatch Mrs. Jones' purse, but he is caught and dragged to her house. Then she freshens him up, makes him comb his hair and offers him food. Moreover, she advises him never to engage himself again in any evil activities. She even gives him ten dollars so that he could buy suede shoes. So Roger's respect for her and his desire to express a lot as homage to the kind-hearted lady makes him utter ' Thank You Ma'am' . Thus, the title of the story is appropriate. 

2) " Do you need somebody to go to the store,....? " — Who is the speaker? To whom did the speaker say this? Why did the speaker want to go to the store? What did they have in supper? 

Ans- The speaker of the above quoted line is Roger, who attempted to snatch the purse of Mrs Jones.                                              The speaker said this to Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones. 

          Roger was so moved by Mrs Jones' motherly affection that he wished to earn a place in her heart by becoming helpful and good. Hence, he asked her if she needed someone to go to the store maybe to get some milk or something. 

             Mrs Jones heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made cocoa out of canned milk and cut her ten-cent cake. The two had all these in supper. 

3) Why did the boy in "Thank You Ma'am" not run away though he found the door open? 

Ans- When Mrs Jones caught Roger, he pleaded with her to set him freed and looked for an opportunity to run away. Later after being taken to Mrs Jones' house, he got an opportunity to escape as the door was open but he did not feel the urge to. He got another chance to flee with Mrs Jones' purse when she was busy preparing supper, but he didn't do so. Mrs Jones' kindness, her caring attitude towards him, her addressing him as 'son' and above all the unfolding of her past, brought a change in Roger. He didn't want to lose her trust again. Hence he didn't run away despite getting a few opportunities to do so. 

4) " You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. "– Who speaks to whom? Did the speaker manage to teach what he/she claimed to teach? Give reasons for your answer. 

Ans- Here the speaker is Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones and she is speaking to a boy named Roger. 

        The speaker, Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones tried to teach Roger what is right and what is wrong. Roger wanted a pair of blue suede shoes and so he attempted to snatch her purse but got caught. Mrs Jones when came to know that he had nobody to teach him, took the responsibility of teaching him. She took him home, fed him like her own son and gave him ten dollars so that he could buy blue suede shoes. Her motherly affection moved him so much that he didn't try to escape from her house or steal money from her purse in spite of getting an opportunity to do so. Instead he wanted to help her in her work. Mrs Jones told him to avoid wrong means to fulfil his desires. Therefore, from the above discussion it can be said that the speaker managed to teach him what she claimed & reformed Roger.