“I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.”- How does the utterance bridge the gap between the two characters?

The above mentioned line is uttered by Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones. It unveils the pity and pathos that lie inherent within the story. Mrs Jones, works till late hours in a hotel beauty-shop. Having caught the boy red-handed, she neither ill- treats him nor belittles him, rather she extends him her sincere hospitality and ...

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“I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.” -Who is the speaker? What detail about her youth does she confess to the listener? What lesson from her experience did she want to teach the listener?

 Mrs Jones is the speaker. Roger admits that his desire for a pair of blue suede shoes is the main reason behind his attempt to snatch the purse. Hearing this Mrs Jones declares that she was also young once and could not get what she wanted. Roger is startled to find someone who had a ...

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Why did Roger not try to run away later although he had an opportunity to do so?  Or, Why did the boy in ‘Thank You Ma’am’ not run away though he found the door open ?

At first, on being caught by Mrs Jones, Roger pleaded with her to set him free and looked for an opportunity to run away. Later after being taken to Mrs Jones’ house, he got an opportunity to escape as the door which led to the hall was open but he did not feel the urge ...

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He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run!”-Where do these lines occur? Who is the speaker? Who is ‘he’? Why did he not run

 These lines occur in Langston Hughes’ short story ‘Thank You Ma’am’. Here, the speaker is Langston Hughes. In the lines quoted above, Roger, the boy who tried to snatch Mrs Jones’ purse is referred to as ‘he’. Roger could have escaped from the house as the door was left open, but he did not. Roger ...

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” There was a long pause. A very long pause.”-Bring out the significance of “ pause”.?

 When Mrs Jones asked Roger why he had tried to snatch her pocketbook, Roger replied that he wanted a pair of blue suede shoes. She said that he could have asked her for the money to buy his favourite pair of shoes. Such a kind and affectionate behaviour of Mrs Jones stunned Roger and he ...

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