A Thematic Analysis Of Thank You Ma Am, By Langston Hughes

Thank You Ma’am

By: Kush

Can you imagine a woman who would kick a stranger and then later in the story feed the same person? Well, in the short story, “Thank You Ma’am,” by Langston Hughes, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, the protagonist, does just that. She has a very complicated personality because she is hostile, but still lonely and caring.

A big indication that Mrs. Jone hostile is, after, a boy made an attempt to steal her purse and failed, he fell. Mrs. Jones, “...simply turned around and kicked…,” the boy. She also forcefully had the boy, “... pick up my pocketbook, boy and give it here…” In addition to that, the woman was very threatening. For example, Mrs. Jones, told the boy that he would remember her once she was “through with,” him. These parts are significant because it portrays a big part of Mrs. Jones’ personality. It shows her threatening and aggressive trait because kicking and forcing people to do exactly what you want them to do makes you hostile. Later in the story, Mrs. Jones, slams the door in the boy’s face, resulting that he could barely say, “Thank you Ma’am,” to her. After reading that part of the story, I remembered what my dad tells me. Whenever we have guests leaving, we should wait for them to reach their car before I can

In the text, Mrs. Jones, was walking alone alone when it was “... about eleven o’clock a night.” This shows that she must be lonely. Also, to the same boy she kicked, she said, he “‘... ought to be my son,’” Mrs. Jones must have said this because she feels very lonely living by herself. Also, this is significant because it proves that she wants company of the boy. It seems like Mrs. Jones is so desperate for company and to escape her feeling of loneliness, that she wants a random stranger to be her son. When she is deciding to have dinner, she uses the word “we,” to indicate that she will be having dinner with the