Discussion
After reading the short story “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, it is important to reflect on several questions the text poses. This way, you can put the text into perspective and understand its meaning better.
First of all, think about whether “Thank you, M’am” is a story solely about African-Americans. Notice that the boy’s skin color is not mentioned. He can be either black or white. Do you think that the story is only about African-Americans or about something else?
What does the short story tell you about race? Is dignity specific to only a certain race? Remember that, in the 1960s, black people were treated badly and were not seen as worthy enough in the eyes of the whites. Langston Hughes might have wanted to show that race has nothing to do with trust, kindness and dignity.
What does the story tell you about poverty? Roger is evidently a poor b...