Which best describes the theme of '' you, ma'am''

a. crime doesn't pay

b. never steal, especially from mrs. jones

c. if you do terrible things, you will get caught

d. it's important to respect yourself and to take responsibility for your actions

D. The theme is best described as to take responsibility for your own actions. In the story, the young boy was caught stealing from Mrs. Jones but got away from being taken to jail, instead, Mrs. Jones took care of him. This implies that he should respect and be responsible for his own actions.