The following version of this story was used to create this guide: Hughes, Langston. "Thank You, M'am." Short Story America. https://shortstoryamerica.com/pdf_classics/hughes_thank_you_maam.pdf.

Note that parenthetical citations refer to the page number from which the quotation is taken.

"Thank You, M'am" begins with the speaker's description of a woman with a large purse that "had everything in it but a hammer and nails" (1). One night, while the woman is walking home, a young boy attempts to steal her purse. He is knocked down by the weight of the purse and the woman kicks him on his backside. She lifts him up by his shirt and tells him that his face is dirty and that she will be washing his face tonight. She tells him that once she is done with him, he is going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.

Mrs. Jones drags the boy back to her home. Once inside, she asks him his name, and he tells her it is Roger. She instructs him to wash his face and gives him a towel. She asks if he is hungry. He tells her that nobody is home at his house, so she says they will eat there. The boy confesses to her that he had wanted a pair of blue suede shoes which is why he tried to steal her purse. Mrs. Jones tells him that she, too, was young once and wanted things she could not have. The boy notices that she has stopped trying to keep her eye on him, and he positions himself so that she can see him anyway. Mrs. Jones makes food for the two of them while the boy combs his hair.

The two of them eat quietly and Mrs. Jones does not ask him any questions about himself. She gives him some cake for dessert and tells him to eat more. When they are finished, she gives him $10 and tells him to buy his blue suede shoes. Mrs. Jones instructs the boy never to steal from her or anyone else again and ushers him out the door. The boy can barely say "thank you" to her before she shuts the door. The boy never sees Mrs. Jones again.