McMillian 1 Joshua McMillian Ms.

Wright ENG 113-970 24 September 2013 The Negros Struggle to Overcome the Racial Mountain Langston Hughes takes a strong position in his writing. As an African American poet, Hughes addresses the accomplishments and the struggles of the Negro race. Hughes is a very bold poet, and also one that is never afraid of being himself. Often, Hughes addresses the issue of African Americans wanting to run away from their own race and take on Caucasian patterns (Hughes 769). Through his poems, he encourages the African American race not to give up hope and express their uniqueness without being ashamed. Hughes feels that music plays a key role in the significance of African American culture; consequently, he incorporates music such as jazz and blues into his writings. When evaluating the poetry of Langston Hughes, it is evident that the underlying theme is that the African Americans undergo struggles simply because of skin color. The racial theme definitely plays out in texts such as Harlem. In this poem, Hughes recounts the times that African Americans have been promised that things will get better after a while, but the promises go unfulfilled. Hughes most likely chooses Harlem as the setting of the poem because it is a large African American community, which spans about every lifestyle of the typical African American ghetto. To capture the meaning of just how hard life can be for the Negro, Hughes actually compares Harlem to being on the edge of hell (Hughes 766). In this poem, Hughes states that Negros are constantly turned down from getting descent paying jobs because of skin color. As a result of Negros not being able to get decent paying jobs to support

McMillian 2 their families; many of them turn to a criminal lifestyle, thus permeating African American ghettos with hoodlums. As Hughes states, his poetry is derived from the life he knows (Hughes 771). Not all African Americans undergo the struggles that are described in Hughes literary works; however, many of them do because the hood life and the mentality that comes along with it is all they have ever known. Hughes also incorporates a sense of humor into some of his writings as exemplified in the poem Ballad of the Landlord. In this poem, Hughes approaches the mistreatment of the Negro in a different tone. Unlike his other poems, Hughes uses rhymes as well as dramatic action, especially toward the end of the poem. Thorough this poem, Hughes portrays the wrongdoings of a racist landlord and the mistreatment of a seemingly innocent Negro tenant. Negros face yet another struggle of living under poor conditions because of racism. In the beginning of the poem, the Negro tenant is calmly expressing his complaints to the landlord Landlord, landlord my roof sprung a leak dont you member I told you about it way last week (Hughes 765). However, when the landlord threatens to evict the Negro tenant, the tenant threatens the landlord, but the story does not provide evidence to show that he actually harmed the landlord. Regardless, the tenant has to serve a ninety-day jail sentence. A ninety-day jail sentence is a stiff penalty to serve because of simply telling the landlord about the problems with the house. This shows the prejudice even in the court system, which is supposedly a place that is intended for the sole purpose of establishing justice. Throughout Hughes literary works, it is evident that he is a firm believer in people remaining true to their uniqueness and culture. Hughes definitely understands the concept that everybody has different character, and everybody expresses themselves differently. Consequently, in his essay The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain, he addresses the issue

McMillian 3 of African Americans wanting to take on a different culture and accept Caucasian patterns (Hughes 769). In the poem, Hughes depicts a Negro poet that wishes that he was white. I want to be a poet not a Negro poet (Hughes 768). The following lines of the essay show that Hughes did not think very highly of that poet because he states And I was sorry the young man said that, for no great poet has ever been afraid of being himself (Hughes 768). Although the Negro middle class may not face the same struggles as the African Americans who live a poor ghetto lifestyle, they still have to overcome the struggle of wanting to be white. Many of them begin to believe the gospel that being white is the symbol of all the virtues (Hughes 769). Being white or African American is not what makes a person good or bad; however, every person has his/her own uniqueness which inspires character. Langston Hughes is a gifted poet who is able to provide encouragement through his writings, which is displayed in his inspiring literary work Mother to Son. Hughes compares life to a set of stairs that contain many obstacles, which one has to overcome. The theme of the poem is life is no crystal stair (Hughes 762). The mother in the poem encourages her son not to give up because life gets kinder hard. (Hughes 762). Life is not always something that is just a breeze; therefore, it is necessary to have people to provide encouragement. African Americans do encounter many racial struggles, and whites also have their struggles, but if people give up and lose hope, they will never overcome their struggles but rather they will be overcome by defeat. On the Cultural Achievements of African Americans is a poem in which Hughes chiefly focuses on the accomplishments made by African Americans rather than focusing on their struggles. Hughes states that without African Americans, several accomplishments would have never been made. without their struggles, no dramas; without their music, no songs

McMillian 4 (Hughes 772). There may have been songs, dramas, or plays without African Americans, but the point is that African American and whites are supposed to cooperate together and work as a unit to make America the great place that many people dream to live in. The uniqueness and culture of African Americans as a race as well individuals differ from the uniqueness and culture of whites. However, this should not cause mountains and chasms of racism between the two nationalities. Every person has their own uniqueness that is expressed differently, but the attitude that both African Americans and whites should have is expressed in the poem Theme for English B. As I learn from you I guess you learn from me.(Hughes 767). Both African Americans and whites must make sure that the nation lives up to its creed We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

McMillian 5

Works Cited Hughes, Langston. An Introduction to Literature: Fiction, Poetry, Drama. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. 16th Ed. Boston: Pearson, 2011. 761-773. Print. Hughes, Langston. Ballad of the Landlord. Ed. Barnet, Burto, and Cain. 765-766. Hughes, Langston. Harlem. Ed. Barnet, Burto, and Cain 766. Hughes, Langston. Mother to Son. Ed. Barnet, Burto, and Cain 762. Hughes, Langston. On the Cultural Achievement of African Americans. Ed. Barnet, Burto, and Cain 772-773. Hughes, Langston. Theme for English B. Ed. Barnet, Burto, and Cain 767-768. Hughes, Langston. The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. Ed. Barnet, Burto, and Cain 768-772.