Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones In Langston Hughes's Thank You M Am

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is the perfect target. Her large pocketbook is an ideal target for any thief, including Roger. When he lunges at her pocketbook, he attempts to steal it, but fails to do so. Lucky for him, Luella has no intention of calling the cops. Instead, she drags Roger to her house and takes care of him for the remainder of the night. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, a main character in Langston Hughes short story, “Thank You M’am” wants others to learn from her mistakes, to see the good in others, and seeks companionship.

To begin, Luella wants others to learn from her mistakes. For example, when Luella and Roger are talking over dinner, she says “I were young once and wanted things I could not get.” When she realizes Roger was waiting for her to elaborate, she adds, “‘I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son- neither tell God, if he didn’t already know.’” This shows that Luella isn’t …show more content…
For instance, when Roger attempts to steal Luella’s pocketbook, she notices the physical state Roger is in. Instead of calling for help, she takes him home and learns that there’s no one to take care of him. Over dinner, Luella asks Roger why he tried to steal her pocketbook, and he says “‘I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes.’” After eating, Luella gives Roger ten dollars to buy the blue suede shoes. This demonstrates that Luella understands that everyone makes bad decisions sometimes, and Roger isn’t really a bad kid. Since no one can take care of Roger, he does what is necessary to survive. Luella tells Roger he didn’t have to steal her pocketbook to get the shoes, and could have just asked. Additionally, instead of calling for help, Luella takes Roger to her house. This action alone shows that Luella is very understanding, and knows that Roger is in a difficult position. Therefore, Luella can be seen as someone trying to understand that everyone is fighting their own