What is the theme expressed in "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes?

A theme
is the primary point or perhaps the moral of a story, and there is always room for multiple
themes; however, the primary theme of "" byconcerns the power of trust. 

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is not about to let a teenage boy steal her purse,
but she is also unwilling to let him go home hungry. She can see that he is suffering from
neglect, as he appears to be rather dirty and unkempt, as if no one were really taking care of
him. She determines to do something to help, and once they get to her house we learn
why.

She assumes that Roger was trying to steal her purse because he was
hungry, but Roger tells her he wanted money to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. Mrs. Luella Bates
Washington Jones understands, saying after a few moments of reflection, I were young once and
I wanted things I could not get. After an even longer pause and more silence, she says
this:

I have done things, too, which I would not tell
you, sonneither tell God, if he didnt 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.

As the woman starts to prepare a meal, she does something
unthinkable. She leaves her pocketbook on the bed and the door open, providing the perfect
opportunity for a young man who really does have a criminal heart to take advantage of her. As
she must have expected (or at least hoped), Roger is moved by her trust in him and does not take
advantage of her.

But the boy took care to sit on the far
side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she
wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want
to be mistrusted now.

This is the greatest gift she could
have given this boy, something much more significant than the ten dollars she gives him to buy
the shoes for which he is willing to steal. For a young boy suffering from neglect, who is not
important enough for anyone to take good care of, the trust that a perfect stranger offers him
is a gift beyond measure. Her trust tells Roger that he has value and worth, and we know by his
response that Mrs. Luella Bates Washington was right. Roger is not a bad boy, and he will be a
better boy for having met this formidable and insightful woman.