The Life of Langston Hughes and his use of Religion, Rite of Passage, and Family in his short stories - Research Paper Example

The Life of Langston Hughes and his use of Religion, Rite of Passage, and Family in his short stories Introduction Langston Hughes was a black American that strived through life, as a child growing up in Harlem. He was a central figure, in the blossoming of American literature and the creative outline, which he invented during 1920’s. He decided to write his stories in a way that implies his voice to non-black viewers because, as a struggling African American growing under difficult conditions, he wanted to put it where he wants the entire world to access and recognize what it entails to be a black African American going through what he did. Because of racism, he provided a remarkable authority on the black all through the US in the era referred to as the Harlem Renaissance. He was among the most inexhaustible and most recognized black poets of the renaissance. He was among the few that broke the barriers that several artists had achieved before. His articulation not only endorsed African American civilization, but also endeavoured to bring notice the predicament of African American anguishing from injustice and oppression (Baraceros, 118). In his book essay, salvation Hughes retells an experience concerning religion. He narrates that, he was salvaged from sin, when he was turning thirteen, but was not truly saved. This experience affected how he dealt with situations in religion in the future. The start of the story has a tone that excites the reader and makes them inquisitive and hopeful. However, eventually the tone disappoints the readers making them culpable and non-believers. A restoration that gains thrust for days is a climatic flat line for Langston leaving him an agnostic. His aunt tells a curious Langston that, grand things will occur at revitalization, at the cathedral of his Auntie Reed. He is told that he will experience an incredible feeling within and will be delivered. Had this before from others and does not deem it right to question his aunt. He is hopeful that, at the revival, Jesus will call children. The children are called up, and he takes a pew on the bench waiting for Jesus to reveal himself. He waits for a long time, but Jesus never appears. There are only two children left on the bench and the other child decides he will meet Jesus to end things but a hopeful Langston waits (Baraceros, 234). Langston is disillusioned that Jesus did not come to assist him when all eyes were focused on him. This made to lie to his aunt that he had seen when he cried that night out of disappointment. He has heard several people older people discuss what happens when one goes to Jesus. This made to be hopeful, curios and excited, but at the end, the complete opposite is the outcome. These two extremes lead to Langston to be a non-believer. Another Hughes’ significant story is “Thank you Ma’m.” This story is about an elderly woman walking alone in the dark when suddenly a boy attempts to grab her purse. Nonetheless, during the effort, he loses his steadiness and slides on the pavement and the annoyed woman picks him up and teaches him a thorough lesson. She takes the boy to her home so that he could wash his face and have a pleasant e meal, before she hands him some money to buy blue suede shoes he has always wished for a long time. This story appears to be written around the 1930s when racism was a prodigious topic in the southern states, during those times numerous African Americans had problems looking for a job. During this period, many blacks had to fight for their freedom. From Rogers' perception, children went through a rough period as well during that era. He is dirty and frail and a street rogue. He depicts the life of many children of that time. Mrs Washington Jones, the elderly woman sympathises with Roger even though he tries to steal from her. She depicts a different side of the poor neighbourhood; a sturdy woman who depicts kindness to a stranger one would not expect her to be bothered. Many children in poor neighbourhoods had little to go home to, as they were neglected and required somebody to support them. This story is told from a third person’s view who describes all the happenings and all that is said in the story. No one’s judgment are stated, so this may distress how we recognize the theme of the narrative, because readers have to think for themselves what the characters are thinking and feeling. The writer also depicts Roger as someone who cannot distinguish between correct and incorrect. This is depicted when Mrs Jones claims that she will teach him the evil and marvellous. However, roger apologises to the woman after trying to snatch her purse showing that he is aware of is sin. The story depicts Mrs Jones as a perfect woman without any frail. She is described as an active, dominant character. She described in beautiful and exquisite words. However, in real human nature there is no one who is perfect as Mrs. Jones is depicted. In the banquet of honour, by Langston Hughes, an artist who resided in Harlem, in 1960’s, was angered that no one paid any interest to him, and his art, until he neared his death. The book depicts that for one to play the race game straight they should not abide by stereotypes. Most artists do not conform to the race game straight because they are limited to the target audience. The artist in the book, did not change his art in the way white people wanted it, he lived by his way. Comer, Dr. James. Maggie’s American Dream. New York: Plume, 1990. Print. This is a life history of Margret Comer printed and articulated by James P who was her son, as well as an autobiography of James himself. It exhibits how a person overcomes obstacles to attain their aspirations and dreams. Maggie is from woodland in Mississippi; her folks were named Jim and Maude. Her father was more educated than the man he worked for as a sharecropper, and was the leader of the farm although the white man got all the money. She struggles through difficult transitions in her life. Her ongoing struggle against extensive poverty and extreme racism does not slay Maggie’s indomitable spirit, yawning pride. She finally overcomes her tribulation and provides a high standard of life to her five children. Her struggles resemble Hughes strives in his life. They all come from a difficult background full of racism and favour as depicted in Hughes story of “Thank you M’am.” they both discuss morals that are a benchmark in African American family. They show the significance of overcoming the society’s stereotypes of achievement. They also indicate how the blacks had to double their efforts, to be successful. While comer shows the vitality of families, sticking together. Hughes highlights the effects of broken families (Comer 123). Dickerson, Donald. A Bio-bibliography of Langston Hughes. Connecticut: Archon Books, 1972. Print. Donald analyses the biography of Langston and his works to analyze the use of various themes. He analyzes the historical and personal background to get records of Hughes’ life. He discusses the close relationship of Hughes and his grandparents and the tough one with one of his parents. This tackles the theme of family that Hughes was exposed to, the morals and education of his grandparents. This simplified the connections of Hughes’ stories, plots and themes. For instance, Rogers in the story thank you Ma’m showed the life that Hughes witnessed as he grew up within the poor, black families. However, Hughes fails to highlight life of the well to do families of African American origin (Dickerson 34). Emanuel, James and Theodore L. Gross. Negro Literature in America. NY: Free Press, 1968. Print. Emmanuel and Theodore write a compilation for renowned literature from African American writers. It covers several writers that wrote during Langston Hughes’ time and wrote on the same topics. The book highlights Hughes contributions in the Harlem renaissance, among the writers and intellectuals who engaged in fighting the voice of African American in the US life and the role of identity of the African American artist. Hughes voice in literature was influential in art and literature because it was inspired by the turmoil that Africans Americans were forced to face in US. Racism, Discrimination, and oppression provided inspiration in many of his works (Emmanuel and Theodore 324). Leary, John Patrick. "Havana Reads the Harlem Renaissance”. The literary works of Langston Hughes and Nicolas Gullen touched on issues that affected the black community in the early 20th century. This included family, rite of passage and religion. They both lived in a period, in history, that there were racial issues. The black and mixed race communities were facing the issue of discrimination of these minority communities. The works of these two influential authors in the literary work touched on issues that affected the black community at the time. There content characters and the plot were heavily influenced by the events that affected the black community. Langston Hughes was an author of black origin of the black, American community. This was considered a minority group in the early 20th century. Nicolas Gullen, conversely, was a Cuban author of mixed parentage commonly referred apt the time to as the “mulatoes”. In the book Havana reads the Harlem resistance, the author Dr John Patrick Leary, tries to come up with the connection between these two influential authors through their works. This is through the use of the different themes, plots and storylines they moulded their works to tackle the concern of race. Leary through his work comes up with a connect on the issues of race addressed by this two authors. In the book, Havana Reads the Harlem Resistance, the author Dr Leary, discusses the concept of transnational’s that was present in the American literature Leary 123). Through this transnational’s, Dr Leary brings to light the different misinterpretations of the different works in relation to civilization and social backgrounds. In the book, Dr Leary focuses on the letter written by a Cuban journalist in 1930 to the poet Langston Hughes. The Cuban journalist Gustavo Urrita was writing to comment on the work of the America poet. His poem titled The Son of Motifs. The journalist in the letter compares the poem Son of Motifs with the poem weary blues by Hughes. Nicolas Guillen, who faults the interpretation as inaccurate, heavily criticizes this. The journalist missed the fundamental issues that were being addressed regarding family culture and religion. Nicolas Guillen, And The Dialectics Of Transnational American Literature." Comparative Literature Studies 47.2 (2010): 133-158. Literary Reference Center. Web. 4 Mar. 2012. The works of Langston Hughes were famous for his choice of words and his use of lyricism. This made his poetic work appealing for the readers of his poems. This made Hughes poetic work versatile, and this enabled the poetic work to be expanded into short stories. The works of Langston Hughes were wide in and full of depth. This made the work have the ability to be written as stories. The topics covered by Hughes in his works had a strong social significance and impact in the society. The poem was a little limiting for Langston to express himself fully on matters that affected the black community. These topics ranged from the issue of family, religion and rites of passage that affected the black community in America. Langston expanded his poems into short stories in order to explore more deeply his feelings towards the events affecting his community. This served as a continuation of his poems in order to complete the story behind his poetic work. Through his works, he paid an immense deal of concentration to black aesthetics. He believed in the beauty of being an African American and took pride in his race. He also put into the limelight the issues affecting the races and the differences that exist amid the race (Nicolas 34). Moore, Marlon Rachquel. "Black Church, Black Patriarchy, And The "Brilliant Queer": Competing Masculinities In Langston Hughes's "Blessed Assurance.." African American Review 42.3/4 (2008): 493-502. Academic Searches Complete. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. In this account, Marlon Moore perceives the thought of black religion and continues at the occurrence of people in it. Being a folklorist, Hughes wanted to incarcerate the real meaning of each aspect of black civilization, as well as salvation as a religious aspect. Religious sentiment is constantly mutually dependent with racial sentiment in his poetry. In comparison to Moore’s, focus which is on the responsibilities men occupy in the black place of worship and the manner their tasks have been perceived as being queer. This is distant and remotely placed in this scrutiny even though Moore categorizes the black church configuration as well as the significance of the black church. There are numerous responsibilities in the black church (priests, musicians.), and they assist comprise the present the black church structure and black religion. Hughes perceives religion in the broader black culture perspective and presents it extensively as a basis of power for the subjugated. It also served as a people’s opiate, the faith of slavery, and a barrier to liberation (Moore 98). Moore centres on the role of men in a deeper context, as opposed to the broader perspective of Salvation in the volume rites of passage. Hughes was extensively manipulated by the cathedral life and wrote everything concerning it on copious occasions. He narrates that he was saved from sin, when he was turning thirteen, but was not quite saved. Moore depicts that the minister other than lead and held by the females and members of the worshippers manipulates the ministry. In a number of Hughes’s tales, he emphasizes this notion by having the main characters have an individual dealing or individual contemplation with themselves concerning the church and a collective experience in addition. His aunt tells a curious Langston that immense things will occur at a restoration at the church of his Auntie Reed. He is told that he will experience implausible feeling inside and will be delivered. He has had this before from others and does not deem it right to question his aunt. He is hopeful that, at the revival, Jesus will call children. The poet Hughes, is not actually disapproving of Christianity, he is there or thereabouts condemning adults who employ metaphors when conversing to their children. As seen earlier, his aunt points out to him that he will perceive a light and accept Jesus, as a youthful boy factually although he would come across a light and, in the event, he could not see he believed that he is not saved, and consequently, he ought to go forward. He went frontward due to peer pressure not entirely comprehending what he was presumed to be "feeling" and consequently; he reflected that his "Salvation" was not attained due to his dishonesty (Moore 112). Rampersad, Arnold. The Life of Langston Hughes. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. Arnold Rampersad has completed countless jobs with the articulations of Langston Hughes. He has examined at mutually his poetry and small stories and associated the writer’s life to the numerous pieces he inscribed. Rampersad observed the topics of family, gays, the Harlem Resurgence, and the cultural apprehension of the era. For the grounds behind racism, he donated a tremendous manipulation on the black civilization all through the US in the era referred to as the Harlem Renaissance. This can be seen as viable features in the two accounts of the book. Even, though, Arnold Rampersad based most of his exertions on the completed accounts of Langston. With the many collection Hughes in his name, Rampersad looked at Hughes’s pieces numerous times and has a broad understanding for the connections of the themes in Hughes’s short stories (Rampersad 45). This is because Langston was among the majority of prolific and nearly all predictable black poets of the revitalization or rather renaissance. He was amid the few that breached the barriers that numerous artists had previously attained. His articulation did not merely promote African American civilization, but also endeavoured to bring awareness to the predicament of African American anguish injustice and suppression. Earlier than it was a catchword, Hughes acknowledged that black was gorgeous. He renowned the black skin tones In “Harlem Sweeties”. After many poets had portrayed darkness as a dangerous and apprehension, Hughes remoulds it as gorgeous in "Dream differences". His objective was to discard the internalized discrimination and hatred that he sensed countless African-Americans had. Hughes was in love with the street and all the characters that it entailed, and acknowledged them in his exertion. "The low-down persons, the supposed widespread constituent, and are the preponderance—might the Almighty be honoured!" he wrote. "The citizens who possess their trendy of gin on Saturday evenings and are not hugely significant to them or society, or as well fed and too educated to observe the indolent globe go round. Works cited Baraceros, Et Al, English for a Better World Iv.Salvation N.Y: Rex Bookstore, Inc. 2007 Ed. P 220-222. Comer, Dr. James. Maggie’s American Dream. New York: Plume, 1990.Print. Dickerson, Donald. A Bio-bibliography of Langston Hughes. Connecticut: Archon Books, 1972. Print. Emanuel, James and Theodore L. Gross. Negro Literature in America. NY: Free Press, 1968. Print. Leary, John Patrick. "Havana Reads the Harlem Renaissance: Langston Hughes, NicolasGuillen, And the Dialectics of Transnational American Literature." Comparative Literature Studies 47.2 (2010): 133-158. Literary Reference Center.Web. 4 Mar. 2012. Hughes, Langston. “Banquet in Honor” The Best of Simple. 1961. New York: Hill and Wang, 1992. 42- 48. Miller, R. Baxter. "The Political Plays of Langston Hughes/Langston Hughes and The Chicago Defender: Essays On Race, Politics, and Culture, 1942-62/Langston Hughes: A Study of the Short Fiction." African American Review 38.4 (2004): 723-727 World History Collection. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. Moore, Marlon Rachquel. "Black Church, Black Patriarchy, and the "Brilliant Queer": Competing Masculinities in Langston Hughes's "Blessed Assurance.” African American Review 42.3/4 (2008): 493-502. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. Rampersad, Arnold. The Life of Langston Hughes. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. Read More