As Plato once said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” The kids who are disruptive on the subway may be that way because they do not get enough attention at home. The quiet kids in class that get nervous speaking out loud may be that way because they were bullied when they were younger. The boy trying to snatch a woman's pocketbook may be doing it because he doesn't have any money at home to buy anything for himself. This is the scene originally set by Langston Hughes in his short story “Thank You Ma’am.” Both the plot, conflicts and characters contribute to the idea that “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes is a story about unexpected kindness and unusual punishment.
Firstly that night, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, a large woman with a large purse, was walking home alone when a young boy named Roger came up behind her, trying to take her pocketbook. His plan, however, failed, when Mrs. Jones grabbed him by his collar and shook him “until his teeth rattled” (Line 17). This is a physical
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Jones and Roger were unexpectedly kind and gave or received an unusual punishment. First of all, Mrs. Jones is materially poor. She lives in a home with many other people and does not work a very good job at a beauty parlor. So, based on this knowledge, it is very unexpected that she would give $10 to Roger for him to buy shoes. The surprise is evident with Roger as well after he is told that he “could of asked [Mrs. Jones] for [$10]” (Line 105). However, based on the knowledge of Mrs. Jones’ rough past, the kindness was only really unexpected from Roger or the reader. This also ties in with a point from the previous paragraph that the meeting with Roger unearths some sentimentality and pain from the past. In addition, Roger thought that he was going to be punished by being taken to jail. Instead, he learned a valuable life lesson from the kindness of a stranger that saw herself in
Through the use of personification, Langston Hughes shows that learning is important is this story, the professor just teaches but langston is also teaching the professor that different races are equally important and that we are all the same. People in this time period were rude to black people back then then and they treated them like they were different, but Langston is trying to teach his professor that everyone is the same and know one deserves to be treated badly just from the color of their skin.”You are white--yet a part of me,as I am part of you. That's American”.This quote is langston saying that we are all the same and we are all american and nothing else is different. As a conclusion hughes was making a good point in the fact of
When reading the literature of Langston Hughes, I cant help but feeling energetically charged and inspired. Equality, freedom, empowerment, renaissance, justice and perseverance, are just a taste of the subject matter Hughes offers. He amplifies his voice and beliefs through his works which are firmly rooted in race pride and race feeling. Hughes committed himself both to writing and to writing mainly about African Americans. His early love for the “wonderful world of books” was sparked by loneliness and parental neglect. He would soon lose himself in the works of Walt Whitman, Paul Laurence, Carl Sandburg and other literary greats which would lead to enhancing his ever so growing style and grace of oeuvre. Such talent, character, and willpower could only come from one’s life experiences. Hughes had allot to owe to influences such as his grandmother and great uncle John Mercer Langston - a famous African American abolitionist. These influential individuals helped mold Hughes, and their affect shines brightly through his literary works of art.
This week reading were really interesting, all of them had a strong message behind their words. However, the one that really caught my attention was “Open Letter to the South” by Langston Hughes. In this poem, the author emphasizes in the idea of unity between all races, He also suggests that working in unity will lead to achieving great things, as he said, “We did not know that we were strong. Now we see in union lies our strength.” (Hughes 663)
Another example of Hughes’s constant struggles with racism and his inner and thoughtful response to that is clearly seen when he recalls being denied the right to sit at the same table. His point of view identifies that he was not able to sit at the table because he was an African-American. Yet, he remains very optimistic in not letting his misfortune please what is considered the “white-man” in the poem. Langston Hughes’s states,
During the 1900’s many African Americans moved from the south to the north in an event called the Great Migration. Many of the southern African Americans migrated to a place called Harlem. This is where it all began. Harlem became the breeding ground for blues, jazz, and gave birth to a new generation of Negro Artist. They referred to themselves as the New Negro. The New Negro was the foundation for an era called the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance allowed for the manifestation of the double consciousness of the Negro race as demonstrated by artists such as Langston Hughes. During the height of the Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes created poetry that was not only artistically and musically sound but also captured a blues essence giving life to a new style of poetry as it depicted the African American struggles with self and society. One thing is for sure, Hughes consistent use of common themes allows them to be the very basis of the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes is one of the most influential icons of the Harlem renaissance because of his poetry and musical talent.
Deconstruction of Thank You, Ma’am. & nbsp ; There are a million acts of kindness each day. Some young man gives a stranger a compliment, or a teacher brightens a students morning. But, in the world we live in today, these acts are rare to come by. In this short story Thank You, Ma’am, the boy, out of mysterious luck, gets taken in by the woman whom he was trying to steal a purse from. Her actions, following the incident towards the boy, may have seemed very as complicated as life is, there will not always be someone for you to lean on and depend on. The first and most foremost thing that would come to mind when reading this story is how caring Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones was, that she took in the boy and nurtured him; she tried to teach him between right and wrong. She gave him food, a nice conversation, and even a chance of escape, which he chose not to take, but these methods are still an immoral way of handling the situation. If a boy were to come up to an everyday woman on the streets, that victim would not be as sensitive as Mrs. the boy she caught. To teach a young man that if you steal and you are going to get special treatment is not an effective method of punishment. First of all, the boy told Mrs. Jones that he tried to steal her purse for one reason, to buy blue suede shoes for himself. She then replies, “Well you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some blue suede shoes.
The Harlem Renaissance brought about many great changes. It was a time for expressing the African-American culture. Many famous people began their writing or gained their recognition during this time. The Harlem Renaissance took place during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Many things came about during the Harlem Renaissance; things such as jazz and blues, poetry, dance, and musical theater. The African-American way of life became the “thing.” Many white people came to discover this newest art, dancing, music, and literature. The Great Migration of African-American people from the rural South to the North, and many into Harlem was the cause of this phenomenon. Harlem was originally a Dutch settlement. Harlem became one of the largest African- American communities in the United States, and during the Harlem Renaissance became a center for art and literature. Many great writers came about during this time, one of which was Langston Hughes. Hughes was born in 1902 with the name James Langston Hughes, and died in 1967. He lived most of his adult life in Harlem. He grew up without a stable family environment. His father moved to Mexico, and he never really saw much of him. Hughes was often referred to as “Harlem’s poet” (Haskins 174). Hughes had and still has a great influence on poetry.
Dreams are aspirations that people hope to achieve in their lifetime. They are a motive that drives lives to accomplish goals. When trying to achieve these goals, people can do anything. However, what happens when a dream is deferred? A dream cast aside can frustrate a person in the deepest way. It tends to permeate their thoughts and becomes an unshakable burden. In the poem “Harlem,” Langston Hughes, through literary technique, raises strong themes through a short amount of language.
Thesis: The poems “Negro”, “I Too”, and “Song for a Dark Girl” by Langston Hughes was written around an era of civil inequality. A time when segregation was a customary thing and every African American persevered through civil prejudice. Using his experience, he focuses his poems on racial and economic inequality. Based on his biographical information, he uses conflict to illustrate the setting by talking about hardships only a Negro would comprehend and pride only a Negro can experience, which helps maintain his racial inequality theme.
“Harlem” by Langston Hughes opened the doors to African American art. Throughout history there has been a lot of issues with racial inequality. During the Harlem Renaissance, many African Americans wanted to prove they were just as intelligent, creative, and talented as white Americans. Langston Hughes was one of the people who played an influential part in the Harlem Renaissance; his poem “Harlem” painted a very vivid picture of his life and his outlook in the society he lived in.
The poem “Negro” was written by Langston Hughes in 1958 where it was a time of African American development and the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. Langston Hughes, as a first person narrator tells a story of what he has been through as a Negro, and the life he is proud to have had. He expresses his emotional experiences and makes the reader think about what exactly it was like to live his life during this time. By using specific words, this allows the reader to envision the different situations he has been put through. Starting off the poem with the statement “I am a Negro:” lets people know who he is, Hughes continues by saying, “ Black as the night is black, /Black like the depths of my Africa.” He identifies Africa as being his and is proud to be as dark as night, and as black as the depths of the heart of his country. Being proud of him self, heritage and culture is clearly shown in this first stanza.
Countless times Roger wanted to run out Mrs. Jones home but he didn’t want to be mistrusted. Mrs. Jones didn’t question him on his personal life as they ate, Roger was quite glad considering
I would teach you right from wrong” (Hughes, 72-73). This quote evidently shows that Ms. Jones wants Roger to accept his actions and learn from them. She is determined to teach him the power in doing the right thing because she also made mistakes when she was younger. She states this to roger as well as how she reflects and learns from them.
.Langston Hughes wrote the poem “Negro” in 1922. After emancipation, African Americans tried to locate a protected place to embrace music, liberal arts, and theater.African Americans found this in Harlem and used their artistic skills to press for racial equality. This poem is meant to illustrate the presence of blacks throughout history, highlight their global contributions, and illuminate their sufferings.
In the poem “Justice” by Langston Hughes, he talks about how the justice system is biased against African-Americans and how they are aware of it and its unfair ways. Langston Hughes conveys a calm and simmering anger tone around the topic of Justice being unfair. The tone suggests how African-Americans are treated when it comes to the law. He uses metaphors, punctuations and word choice to show this. The first line, “Justice is blind goddess” is a metaphor about how justice is a court system and it doesn’t favor a particular person.