What does Roger's appearance tell us about him?

Mrs. Washington Jones's demand that Roger wash his face
indicates to us his condition. In sticking with Hughes' commitment to realism, he does not
present Roger in a manner that indicates his wealth. Rather, he shows Roger to be lacking in both
spiritual and physical states. The need to rob the woman is where this spiritual absence is and
the physical condition also indicates that there is a need in Roger's life. He is unclean and
unkempt. The fact that the first thing Mrs. Washington Jones does is demand him to wash up for
dinner indicates this, as well. Roger cleans his face and eats the dinner she cooks for him. This
indicates his condition of being unkempt as well as malnourished. The sweat that has enveloped
him from both running and the aspect of getting caught is another hint that the reader has of his
physical appearance, indicating something that needs to be cleaned.