Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)
One of the stories we’re studying in the American short stories class I’m teaching is Langston Hughes’ “Thank You, M’am,” which was written and published in 1958. Hughes was the first African American to make a living as a writer, and he left behind a significant legacy of novels, short stories, and poems. He was also a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement when Black writers, artists, and musicians were developing their crafts largely outside the constraints of racism in white-dominated society. While many of Hughes’ works address racism in some form, this particular story is universal and could apply to any child, anywhere, at any time.
In “Thank You, M’am,” a boy named Roger, around 14 or 15 years old, tries to steal the pocketbook of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones late at night, in an unnamed city. However, his attempt is quickly stopped when she catches him, grabs him by the shirt, and orders, “Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here.” She then asks him, “Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?”
Firmly gripped by his shirt front, the boy said, “Yes’m.”
The woman said, “What did you want to do it for?”
The boy said, “I didn’t aim to.”
She said, “You a lie!”
The story continues as her hold on his shirt forces the delinquent boy to walk with her to her home, where she subsequently washes his face, feeds him supper, and eventually gives him the money he wanted for a pair of shoes. At first he tries to find ways to escape her, but over time allows her to care for him in a way that only a mother with experience can.
“You gonna take me to jail?” asked the boy, bending over the sink.
“Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere,” said the woman. “Here I am trying to get home to cook me a bite to eat and you snatch my pocketbook! Maybe, you ain’t been to your supper either, late as it be. Have you?”
“There’s nobody home at my house,” said the boy.
“Then we’ll eat,” said the woman, “I believe you’re hungry—or been hungry—to try to snatch my pocketbook.”
“I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy.
“Well, you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes,” said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. “You could of asked me.”
With that Roger realizes that he’s in no danger and, appropriately, begins to repent of his earlier plans.
By the end of the story,
She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. “Goodnight!” Behave yourself, boy!” she said, looking out into the street.
The boy wanted to say something else other than “Thank you, m’am” to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door. He barely managed to say “Thank you” before she shut the door. And he never saw her again.
One of the beautiful things that quality stories can do is hold up a mirror to our own lives. Although these are both short story characters, their simple but realistic lives show us the value of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The story reminds us that many children are growing up without good parenting. Some end up on the street, as Roger did, but others just end up broken. If “it’s easier to grow boys than to mend men,” then a bit of kindness on the part of a stranger can leave a lasting impact on an impressionable boy’s life.
Additionally, perhaps Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones knew the reality of Hebrews 13:2 (NASB): “Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Or perhaps she knew God’s command in Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Whatever the motives may be, her kindness, generosity, and plain correction made an impact in this boy’s life.
God,
Thank you for the beautiful stories that encourage us to reflect on our own lives. Thank you for reminding us to guide our children in the right direction, care for those in need, and show mercy, love, forgiveness, and grace to others. Help us to be kind and compassionate toward one another, just as you are toward us. And help us to share your love and grace with those around us. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.
https://shortstoryamerica.com/pdf_classics/hughes_thank_you_maam.pdf