“Do you need somebody to go to the store,” asked the boy, “maybe to get some milk or something?”

Roger makes this offer in the middle of the story, while Mrs. Jones cooks. At this point, he has decided to stay with Mrs. Jones and has realized that he wants not just for her to trust him, but to show her that he’s worthy of trust. In this moment, he understands the power of generosity, a theme throughout the story. Mrs. Jones’s generosity toward him demonstrates her compassion but also her strength and refusal to be a victim. Roger’s offer is a kind one, but he shows Mrs. Jones that he, too, is someone who can give as well as take. This moment represents Roger trying on a different kind of power than the kind he attempted to claim as a street thief.

“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.”

Mrs. Jones makes this statement in the middle of the story, just after bringing Roger home and making him wash his face. This marks the first point in the story when Mrs. Jones has not physically held Roger captive, and he considers running away from the room. However, Mrs. Jones’s offer shocks him so much, he stays. The suggestion that she would have given him the money if he asked transforms how Roger sees her, which exemplifies the power of generosity. Mrs. Jones’s generosity toward Roger transforms his relationship with her. This is the moment that he decides to stay for dinner and to try to be a good guest, to live up to the standards of a woman who would give a stranger money for shoes only because he wanted them. The change that this declaration inspires in Roger shows the power Mrs. Jones wields through generosity.