Roger
Roger is the story's protagonist. A fourteen- or fifteen-year-old impoverished boy, he tries to snatch Mrs. Jones's purse, hoping to get the money to buy some blue suede shoes. He fails and gets caught. She surprises him when she doesn't take him to the police, but takes him to her home, makes him wash his face, and gives him dinner. Before he leaves, she gives him ten dollars to buy the shoes he wants.
Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones
Mrs. Jones is the story's antagonist. She is a large and strong woman, capable of holding Roger hostage when he tries to steal her purse. Ironically, she is kind, understanding, and sympathetic to Roger's situation, having been as poor as him earlier in her life. Treating him with a motherly generosity, she takes him home and gives him food, money, and advice.
