At the end of the story, Roger does not run away but leaves Mrs. Jones on good terms.
The problem in this story is that Roger tries to steal a woman’s purse, and she tries to teach him right from wrong. It would seem that she succeeded, because not only did Roger not run away, he also had a nice talk with Mrs. Jones.
When Roger does not succeed in stealing her purse, Mrs. Jones ends up taking him home. She tells him that any contact he has with her is going to last awhile. Mrs. Jones behaves in a very motherly fashion to Roger. She notes that his face is unwashed and no one is home at 11 at night.
Mrs. Jones gives Roger many chances to walk away, but he doesn’t. He is curious about her, and he is not a bad kid. He just made a bad decision. Mrs. Jones explains to him that she knows what it is like to be young, and she tells him that if he wanted money he just needed to ask.
Roger tells her he wanted blue suede shoes, but it is obvious that he is just lonely and misguided. This meeting will clearly have an effect on him. He even asks her if she needs anything from the store. Roger feels like he has been mentored.
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.
There is a wistfulness to this last paragraph. Roger enjoyed Mrs. Jones’s company. He wants to be a better person. Although she may be somewhat gruff, she cared enough about him to bring him home. Her caring will have a lasting effect.
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