Thank You, M'am

When Mrs. Jones remarks that Roger must have “been hungry” to resort to theft (Paragraph 30), Roger admits he was hoping to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. The exchange is telling because while Roger is implied to come from an impoverished family, he’s focused on securing not necessities but a luxury item; the expense of suede, coupled with the shoe’s unusual color, suggest that Roger is interested more in fashion than practicality. However, this is not to say Roger’s desire for the shoes is frivolous; on the contrary, it reflects the very basic dream of one day enjoying a better life. Mrs. Jones clearly understands this, which is why she gives Roger the money to buy the shoes.

Roger’s interest in the shoes also takes place within a particular historical and cultural context. Hughes’s story was published just two years after Elvis Presley popularized the song “Blue Suede Shoes.” Although this particular song was written by a white man (Carl Perkins), many of Elvis’s hits were first developed and recorded by black artists; in addition, Elvis’s overall musical style drew heavily on the tunes and rhythms of blues musicians. The fact that Elvis achieved a level of commercial success that was unavailable to his black predecessors has led to accusations of what’s now termed cultural appropriation. In this sense, Roger’s desire for the shoes can be read as emblematic of the broader relationship between black Americans and the wealth, culture, power, etc., that have conventionally constituted “success” in America. People like Roger have historically been denied access to this success despite it stemming partly from the fruit of their own labors.