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Comparing Langston Hughes And The American Dream

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Langston Hughes and the American Dream
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is regarded today as one of the most influential Black writers in American history. Pulling inspiration from the genres of blues and jazz, the works of Walt Whitman and Carl Sandburg, and his own life experiences, Hughes’ writing is both classic and innovative (Anon., 1997). Having been an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance, much of his work was centered around the strife and inequality faced by African Americans at the time. Although he explored a wide range of themes in his writing, the concept of the “American Dream” created the foundation for much of his work. As a black man, Hughes knew that he would never experience the proverbial “American Dream” of freedom and …show more content…

Shortly after the end of World War II, Hughes wrote the lengthy poem titled, “Will V-day Be Me-Day Too?”. He begins with the words, “I write this letter hoping times will be better when this war is through. I’m a Tan-skinned Yank, driving a tank. I ask, will V-day be Me-day too?” (1-8). At that time, African American soldiers were held to the same standard of sacrifice and bravery as any white soldier. However, upon returning home, they were forced to resume life as second-class citizens. The narrator states that he has seen the most horrific parts of war; he stood helpless as his friends died. He made a promise that, “[he] would try to make our land a land where his son could be a man—And there’d be no Jim Crow birds left in our sky” (26-33). This line is an incredibly powerful line in that the words “Jim Crow birds flying in the sky” is a dark metaphor for the presence of the segregatory laws put in place to oppress African Americans for decades. However, even in a poem as bleak as this, Hughes ends on a hopeful note with the words: “...will you stand up like a man at home and take your stand for Democracy? That’s all I ask of you. When we lay the guns away to celebrate our Victory Day” (66-71). Hughes envisions a day when the victory belongs to all who fought and sacrificed, a day when everyone stands for

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