Langston Hughes Essay

Eli Tatman 4A

                                                                                                                              10/31/12

 

Does Langston Hughes think it is a moral obligation to practice philanthropy?

 

 

Langston Hughes thinks that it is a moral obligation to practice philanthropy. The reason why is because if you read the short story he wrote Thank You Ma'am you can see the things the character in his story does to practice philanthropy. In the story a troubled kid tried to steal a purse from a woman walking on the street. That didn’t turn out very well for the kid because he got kicked in his blue-jeaned sitter. After that the woman said, “Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here.” Then she said, “Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?” The boy was lying to her saying that he didn’t mean to. He wanted to get away, he was scared. The woman would not let him go because he said he’ll run. She asked him if anybody was to home to tell him to wash his face he said no. She said, “then it’ll get washed this evening.”

 

To make it easier to see that Langston Hughes thinks it’s a moral obligation to practice philanthropy I’m going to act as if he is this woman, even though they’re very much different. After attempted robbery on Langston Hughes, or the woman, he still wants to take him home to wash his face. The boy did not want to go with her but she dragged him all the way to her house. He told her his name was Roger. She finally let him loose and told him to wash his hands, He was thinking about running but didn’t. She said he’ll eat there as well. She asked him why he tried to take her pocketbook. “I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy. There was silence and then she said, “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son neither tell God, if he didn’t already know.” After eating, She gave him ten dollars and told him to go buy some blue suede shoes and never try to steal someone else’s pocketbook again.

 

            Langston Hughes thinks it is a moral obligation to practice philanthropy. By writing this story Thank You Ma'am about a 14 or 15 year old kid trying to take her purse and afterwards, taking him home because he looks like hasn’t showered or eaten in a while. He wrote about this woman doing this good thing for someone who was troubled in doing bad things. Langston writing this story of the helping of this kid sets an example for him thinking it is a moral obligation to practice philanthropy.