Is the story "Thank You, M'am" always serious? Pick out two places where the tone of the writer is humorous.

Hughes has a humorous tone at points of the story "Thank You, M'am." For example, at the beginning of the story, he writes that the woman in the story, Mrs. Jones, kicks Roger, the boy who attempts to steal her purse, "right square in his blue-jeaned sitter." Later, Roger asks Mrs. Jones if she is going to send him to jail, and she says, “Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere." Roger has a dirty face, and Mrs. Jones has instructed him to clean it.
Hughes's use of humor in the story adds a sense of humanity to the characters. Mrs. Jones's interaction with Roger is not just an attempt to discipline him. Instead, she understands him and his reasons for trying to steal her purse. This is not a story of a violent crime. Instead, it is a story of a woman's compassionate response to a boy's cry for help when he lives a life of deprivation. The humor in the story adds to the characters' humanity and enhances the warmth of their interaction.

This story is not always serious in its tone. The author uses lots of examples of humor, like this one in the opening sentence of the story:

She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails.

In this example, the author uses hyperbole (exaggeration) to both characterize Mrs. Jones as a woman who is prepared for every eventuality and add some humor to the story.
In addition, humor comes from much of Mrs. Jones's dialogue. Here is one example, which comes in response to Roger's question about being taken to jail:

"Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere,” said the woman.

By using humor in this way, the author makes the story more lighthearted. As a result, he reinforces the idea that this encounter between Mrs. Jones and Roger was not a negative one. Although Roger tried to steal from her (and there is an expectation that Roger will get into big trouble), Mrs. Jones shows a high level of care and compassion toward him, even giving him the money to buy the blue suede shoes he so desperately wants. For Roger (and the reader), her kindness is completely unexpected.
The touches of humor, therefore, help the reader to focus on the story's positive message caused by Mrs. Jones's kind treatment of Roger.