A Mother’s Triumph: Encouraging Her Son to Strive

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In Langston Hughes poem, Mother to Son, Hughes illustrates a strong-willed mother who reminds her son of her failures and how her failures have not stopped her- but instead helped her to continue striving. The mother continues by telling him about how her life has been difficult, telling him “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair,” however she explains that those obstacles are not only bearable, but are also worth struggling against. Langston Hughes uses elements such as; dramatic monologue, diction, and imagery to portray the life of a woman who overcame adversity.
The poem’s use of the dramatic monologue places the reader in the child's position, listening to his mother speak of her lessons learned and applying them to his own life. This causes the reader to become more drawn into the poem, as the womans advice is directed to us along with the sons irritation is our own. When the mother says “ Well, son, I’ll tell you:”(1) this gives off the impression that the son has asked his mother a question or has complained about his life. This line makes the reader feel as though they ...

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