The Ways Of White Folks By Langston Hughes - 2313 Words

â€Å"Humor is laughing at what you haven t got when you ought to have it† - Langston Hughes. This quote finds relevance in Langston Hughes 1934 novel â€Å"the Ways of White Folks†, as he adds a numerous amount of blunt and hidden jokes within the novel. These jokes are meant to laugh at the inequality between white people and black people within America. Hughes mocking of the inability of the American population to coexist is exemplified through the theme of the novel that the emotional disparity between the two races in on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, the whites egotistic values enhance their emotional presence causing them to act with no thought, while the blacks undermined lifestyle forces them to harness their emotions and resist the actions they want to take. To engage the reader further into the book and ultimately the problem Hughes uses several literary techniques and strategies to connect to the emotions of the reader with the characters within the short stories. Hughes literary technique of emphasizing the main characters emotions and thoughts in each story prove to be evidence that he is forcing the reader to view and react as the main character would, whether the character or reader is black or white. As David Nifong explains in Narrative Techniques in The Ways of White Folks, The reader is forced to respond with anger when he sees the injustice performed against Milberry (Nifong 175). Nifong, obviously explaining the racism towards MilberryShow MoreRelatedEssay on Langston Hughes: Jazz Poet922 Words   |  4 PagesLangston Hughes Many poets are well recognized for their poems and live that they lived but, one poet is not all that well known. This poet had a rough live living in persecution just because of his skin color. The famous but forgotten Langston Hughes had an exciting career and very intense writings during the severe segregation era which he had lived in Langston Hughes traveled around the world, which made his very exciting career although, it started out slow, and once it got going it took offRead MoreBiography of Langston Hughes Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pages The well known poet Langston Hughes was an inspiring character during the Harlem Renaissance to provide a push for the black communities to fight for the rights they deserved. Hughes wrote his poetry to deliver important messages and provide support to the movements. When he was at a young age a teacher introduced him to poets Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, and they inspired him to start his own. Being a â€Å"darker brother,† as he called blacks, he experienced and wanted his rights, and thatRead MoreLangston Hughes : The Black Writers Of The Harlem Renaissance1488 Words   |  6 Pagesbetter way of life. Many families landed in Harlem, New York and the neighborhood eventually became rich in Black culture and traditions. The mixture of cultures, heritage and traditions eventually lead to an explosion of Black creativity in music, literature and the arts which became known as the Harlem Renaissance. As with many transitional time periods in United states History, the Ha rlem Renaissance had its share of success stories. One of the well-known writers of the 1900’S is Langston HughesRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance : The Rebirth Of African American Arts1708 Words   |  7 Pagesmid-1930s. Some of the major writers during this time of the Harlem Renaissance were Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, Countee Cullen, Zoe Neale Hurston, and Marcus Gravey. Lots of these themes that these writers wrote about are themes that to this day artists try to make a point of emphasis, including the American Dream, effects of racism on the black population, black identity, and human rights (Wormser). Langston Hughes seemed to be the â€Å"Father of the Harlem Renaissance†. Some of the poems that he wroteRead MoreKate Chopin s The Awakening1704 Words   |  7 Pages1 (Topic #4) The relationship between the individual – the personal, intimate, and internal – and American society – the cultural, institutional, and legal – forges a conflicting war within individual souls. Kate Chopin, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Langston Hughes prompt their readers to analyze the individual costs – the emotional impacts of dominating social and cultural forces. American society, despite habitually being disguised as a detachment from individual lives, sways American individuals throughRead MoreEssay on The Harlem Renaissance1184 Words   |  5 Pages in African American history. After the failure of the Reconstruction period the Negro was not considered either a person or an America. The idea that a Negro was an American was totally unacceptable to the white ruling class. The acceptance of lynching and denied voting rights and equal protection under the law, and equal education and housing in Southern states affirmed their non- personhood in America. During the 20th century a new generation ofRead MoreEssay on Langston Hughes1393 Words   |  6 PagesLangston Hughes  Langston Hughes was one of the first black men to express the spirit of blues and jazz into words. An African American Hughes became a well known poet, novelist, journalist, and playwright. Because his father emigrated to Mexico and his mother was often away, Hughes was brought up in Lawrence, Kansas, by his grandmother Mary Langston. Her second husband (Hughess grandfather) was a fierce abolitionist. She helped Hughes to see the cause of social justice. As aRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Langston Hughes s The Road 1402 Words   |  6 PagesRoad by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes offers a gift in this work which is to open the heart and life will provide unlimited abundance. During this literary analysis Langston Hughes uses nature to demonstrate his main character s unwillingness to participate in life. Another point that Hughes demonstrates is the use of anger and survival and how it can be used as a powerful force in breaking down racial barriers. One more impact Langston Hughes uses is Jesus Christ as a metaphor. Hughes uses thisRead MoreLangston Hughes: Spokesman for Civil Rights960 Words   |  4 PagesOctober 2012 Langston Hughes: Spokesman for Civil Rights The purpose of this essay is to examine the theme of three Langston Hughes poems; â€Å"I. Too,† â€Å"Mother to Son,† and â€Å"Theme for English B.† The theme of these three essays is civil rights. Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902. His parents separated early in his life, he lived with his mother in Kansas City. Langston Hughes attended High School where as a senior he wrote, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers.† Langston became a MerchantRead MoreThe Black Man and Langston Hughes1601 Words   |  7 Pagesno definite explanation or definition. We can try to accept that it has been rooted in social situations that are generally more discriminatory, such the institution of slavery. In some way shape or form, the average or normal African American is confronted with the question of where do I fit in amongst the white society? The problem with African American Identity has many dimensions, such as community, class, and color. The reality of the African American is one that is inescapable in America