After Roger tells Mrs. Jones that he tried to steal her purse to get money to buy blue suede shoes, Mrs. Jones begins to talk to Roger about her past; Roger is so surprised by her honesty that he cannot come up with words:
“'Well, you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes,' said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. 'You could of asked me' 'M’am?' The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her.There was a long pause. A very long pause. After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run! The woman was sitting on the day-bed. After a while she said, 'I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.' There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned, but not knowing he frowned"
This conversation likely feels awkward and uncomfortable to Roger; he cannot come up with words and contemplates running away. There is more than one "long pause" and Roger is left frowning, open mouthed (suggestive of surprise or discomfort) at the end of the paragraph.
Throughout their conversation, Mrs. Jones shows concern for Roger's well-being. She wants to make sure he is clean and well-fed so that he can be comfortable while they talk. She worries that his needs may not be met at home, as seen when she asks him if he has eaten. In the paragraph above, there is evidence that Mrs. Jones has some familiarity with poverty: "I were young once," she says, "and I wanted things I could not get." Her past experience with poverty increases her sympathy for this poor, dirty, and hungry boy who tried to steal her purse.
Just after the passage above, Mrs. Jones continues to talk to Roger:
"'Um-hum! You thought I was going to say but, didn’t you? You thought I was 3 going to say, but I didn’t snatch people’s pocketbooks. Well, I wasn’t going to say that.' Pause. Silence. 'I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if he didn’t already know. So you set down while I fix us something to eat. You might run that comb through your hair so you will look presentable.'"
Here, we discover more information about why Mrs. Jones is concerned with Roger's appearance. She's not only concerned with his comfort; she's also trying to show him how to make himself look socially "presentable," so he can make a create a positive impression through his physical appearance. Mrs. Jones does not explain how she came out of her hard times, but she admits that she had challenges with money growing up. Now, she is able to buy food, pay for some household comforts (such as clean towels and warm water), and share her money with people who need it. This is seen when she tells Roger he only needed to ask, rather than trying to steal from her. It's also seen when she gives him the gift of $10 for his blue suede shoes at the end of the story. She takes care of herself, keeping herself clean and working hard to meet her daily needs. She encourages Roger to do the same thing and to get what he wants through respectable methods, such as asking people and working hard, rather than through stealing and crime.
Why does Mrs. Jones not ask Roger about his family? We can't know for sure, but we can make thoughtful assumptions. Perhaps she does not want to make him feel even more uncomfortable. We know he is uncomfortable since he is thinking about running away from the house. Perhaps she knows that a conversation about his hard circumstances might make him feel judged or attacked. Perhaps she can already guess what his childhood is like due to her own hard childhood experiences. Or, perhaps she is waiting for Roger to direct their conversation. Maybe she would be interested in talking about his family life if he brought the topic up. Since he's being so quiet, she probably assumes he does not want to talk right now.
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