“Now, here, take this ten dollars…”-Who said this? Why did the speaker offer ten dollars? How did the speaker advise the person spoken to? What was the reaction of the person spoken to?
The line mentioned above is said by Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones.
Mrs Jones offered ten dollars to Roger so that he could buy a pair of blue suede shoes.
Mrs Jones advised Roger that he should not adopt unfair means to fulfil his wishes because things earned by unfair means could burn one’s peace.
This generous act on Mrs Jones’ part amazed Roger so much that he could not say anything except “Thank You” to Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones. Roger was greatly moved by Mrs Jones’ kind behaviour and action. Though he wanted to convey his feelings of gratitude to Mrs Jones, yet managed to say only “Thank You” to her.
“Eat some more, son,…”-Who is the speaker? What is offered by the speaker to the listener? What picture of the speaker’s character is revealed in this line?
Here the speaker is Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones.
Mrs Jones offered Roger some lima beans, ham, cocoa made out of canned milk and half of her ten-cent cake.
From the beginning of the story, we see Mrs Jones as an energetic and sensitive lady with occasional flashes of generosity. The line mentioned above revealed the motherly instinct in her. She avoided talking about Roger’s whereabouts because she did not want to embarrass him. Rather, she told Roger about her past to make him feel at home. Without exaggerating or making any vain show of generosity, she poured her love and concern for a fallen young boy. Significantly enough, her stern attitude towards misdeeds, perfectly combined with tenderness and care made Roger’s transformation possible.
