The Influences for Langston Hughes' Successful Writing Career

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Recommended: Racism in literature

American literature and American culture have always been connected throughout our history. Langston Hughes was able to recognize that, “Man had the inability to bridge cultures” (Bloom 16). In one of his writings, Luani of the Jungles, Langston writes about the interactions in a relationship between a white man and a black woman, “that is not ruined by outside disapproval, but the man’s own obsession and oversimplification of their racial differences” (16). Hughes’s ability to speak openly about his ideas earned him the title of “the Poet of Laureate of Harlem” (Bailey 748). Langston Hughes was able to communicate through his works by trying to create bridges between cultures, which he knew was very possible. The works of Langston Hughes, one of the most well-known writer and poet during the Harlem Renaissance, depicts life as an African American in content and portrays the themes of inspiration and motivation.
Throughout Hughes’s life leading up to his success as a writer and poet he faced many difficult times and criticism from his white counter parts. Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1st, 1902 (Biography of Langston Hughes). After his father left him and his mother, he was left in the care of his mother. However he was raised mostly by his grandmother, who was able to instill in him a lasting sense of racial pride which he carried with him until the day he died (Biography). As a young child Hughes was always left with a feeling that he was alone which led to him writing poetry, which he began in high school. Even in his high school career, his writing were criticized. He was denied acceptance and ignored by white peers in high school. Another obstacle in Hughes’s path to success, was his ongoing fight ...

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...epicting the real lives of blacks in America. They also all criticized the divisions and prejudice based on skin color within America. Hughes’s literature and arts attracted a significant amount of attention from the nation at large (Biography). Hughes stressed the need for racial awareness and African American pride in their own culture. In Hughes’s first novel, Not Without Laughter, won the Harmon Gold Medal for literature. The main character was a boy named Sandy and his family, who throughout the novel faces many struggles due to their race and class. This novel created awareness about the struggles of being a certain race, and also gained him a lot of popularity across the nation (Biography). Through his poetry, novels and children’s books, he promoted equality, anti-racism ideals and injustice, and celebrated African American culture, humor, and spirituality.

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