Portrayal Of The Working Class In Langston Hughes's Good Morning Revolution

Langston Hughes was the leading voice of African American people in his time, speaking through his poetry to represent blacks. His Influence through his poems are seen widely not just by blacks but by those who enjoy poetry in other races and social classes. Hughes poems, Harlem, The Negro speaks of rivers, Theme for English B, and Negro are great examples of his output for the racial inequality between the blacks and whites. The relationship between whites and blacks are rooted in America's history for the good and the bad. Hughes poems bring the history at large and present them in a proud manner. The injustice that blacks face because of their history of once being in bondage is something they are constantly reminded and ridiculed for but must overcome and bring to light that the thoughts of slavery and inequality will be a lesson and something to remember for a different future where that kind of prejudice is not found so widely.

As Marx’s states in his theory, when the working class becomes aware of their exploitation, this will result in a revolt lead by the proletariats. The major theories studied by Marx can be used to analyze the characters and situations presented in the film.

Langston Hughes was a poet with many artistic abilities. His writing and drawings established the lifestyles of many African Americans during this time. In a poem called “I, Too” Hughes express his feelings as an African American, a brother, and someone who deserves to fit in society. He states “I, too sing America” (1039). Hughes saw himself as an individual who has a voice in America even though his skin is a little darker. In a poem called “Democracy” Hughes states: “I have as much right as the other fellow has to stand on my own two feet and own the land” (1043). Hughes was speaking for every African American whom were still dealing with segregation, racism, and freedom.

As time has passed humanity still tends to separate each other based on our racial being rather than seeing each other as one human race. Langston Hughes’s, “A New Song,” published in 1938 introduces the idea of a new vision of social relations in American society. Hughes’s original version of this poem written in 1933, does not encompass his growing anger on this subject that is dwelled upon in his published version. However, with Hughes’s powerful tone and word choice throughout his 1938 rendition, his reader is able to understand his urge to transform America into an interracial culture. (Central Idea) His poem voices the importance of transforming society into a multiethnic unity and working-class established through cultural ties between whites and blacks. (Thesis) Hughes voices this crucial need to change through his emphasis on African American’s past struggles as opposed to the new dream, his militant tone, and through expressing the role that the establishment of cultural ties plays in society.

During the 20th century, the people of America had to adjust to new desires, lifestyles, and the new materialistic economy. After entering World War I, the aftermath included false positives that in the end, turned out to be complete negatives. Citizens of America possessed materialistic beliefs that led to disappointments. African Americans were confronted by atrocious social conditions. The frustrations faced by many Americans living in the 1920s, included the desires for materialistic possessions in hopes of contentment, the aspirations for freedom and the dignified need for racial equality, are all elucidated in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “Winter Dreams”, and both poems, “Democracy” by Langston Hughes and “The White House” by Claude Mckay.

Thus, it was believed that conflicting classes existed because individuals developed an appropriate sense of class-consciousness (Buckler 740). This consciousness is very obvious when looking at the mindset of the middle-class owners. They were primarily focused on production and gave little thought to the environment of their workers. As a result, most early factories contained extremely unpleasant work conditions. Mills and factories were dangerously loud, and they were sweltering hot in the summer while poorly heated in the winter. Work days consisted of endlessly long hours and holidays were rarely granted. Furthermore, no laws or unions stood protecting the early urban proletariat workers. Despite these horrid conditions, the proletariat workers were desperate for jobs and were entirely dependant on their employers. Also, because of class-consciousness, they came to accept their positions in society as grueling factory workers. On top of terrible work conditions, the Proletariats’ living conditions were less than satisfactory due to the rapid population increase in urban cities. Until the Industrial Revolution, most of the continent’s population was rural. However, by mid-nineteenth century, half of all Europeans lived in cities and worked in the new industrial factories instead of farms. This transformation of Europe from a rural to urbanized society depressed the living standards of workers to horrendous levels. In doing so, however, it

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." Throughout history, us Proletariats have been oppressed by the Bourgeoisie. They make us factory employees do their work, but they reap the rewards. As many articles have suggested, this must be stopped. Each article provides a unique standpoint on the method of halting this abuse.

Hughes experienced a rough childhood and throughout the entirety of his life he endured many hardships. For instance, growing up with his grandmother Hughes lacked a father figure, but fortunately this did not hinder his spirit or his goals. Later on in his life during the Harlem Renaissance Hughes came into his own and was able to recognize the tough lives that repressed people dealt with. As segregation and racial oppression escalated in the first half of the twentieth century, African Americans continued to face exclusion and discrimination in employment, segregation in schools and public dwellings as well. Furthermore, as Langston Hughes’ life continued he faced additional injustices. This was evidenced when Conservatives in the United States became skeptical of him possibly having ties to extremist movements as well as his support of the Soviet Union for its treatment of minorities. Later on, He was forced to explain his interest in communism and later on softened the tone and voice of his poems due to backlash. Despite facing numerous hardships, Langston Hughes continued to persevere and held out hope that one day there would come an end to racial injustice. Unfortunately, acts that have occurred in the modern day and age suggest that society has yet to reach the end of

“The Harlem Renaissance was a time where the Afro-American came of age; he became self-assertive and racially conscious… he proclaimed himself to be a man and deserving respect. Those Afro-Americans who were part of that time period saw themselves as principals in that moment of transformation from old to new” (Huggins 3). African Americans migrated to the North in great numbers to seek better lives than in the South as the northern economy was booming and industrial jobs were numerous. This movement brought new ideas and talents that shifted the culture forever. Black writers, such as Langston Hughes, used their work to claim a place for themselves and to demand self-respect in society. Poems that Langston Hughes wrote captured the essence of the complexity of a life that mixes joy and frustration of black American life through the incorporation of jazz and blues in order to examine the paradox of being black in mostly white America, the land of the not quite free.

In the fight for equality, people of color often feel isolated and separated from those whose privilege reinforces their oppression. However, there are and always have been white people who see the inequalities that are practiced in society and speak out against them in hopes of reaching equality for all. Langston Hughes used his voice in poetry to express his experience as a black man in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement, and his is a household name. There is no doubt that his words have power. The reader expects to feel his experience and gain empathy and understanding through his poetry. In his poem, “Let America Be America Again,” Hughes presents his experience of American life in a powerful contrast to the experience

Since they devise a system where the bourgeoisie gain more with the growth of capitalism and the proletariat continue to loose. For instance, Marx & Engels describe the proletariat as “the modern working class” of citizens who were created by the bourgeoisie and whose only existence as mandated by the bourgeoisie is to work and further the gains of their class. Additionally, the workers, are subjected to work under their superiors, and Marx & Engels claim that “not only are they slaves of the bourgeoisie class, and of the bourgeoisie state; they are daily and hourly enslaved by the machine… and above all by the individual bourgeoisie manufacturer himself.” Marx argues that the more the bourgeoisie continue to exercise their absolute power over the proletariat, the more bitter, and resentful they become, creating what Marx & Engels describe as a class of citizens and they would be the “weapons that bring death to itself...” They stated this because as the bourgeoisie change the environment of workers by converting small shops “into the great factory of the industrial capitalist.” Which in turn creates a mass, organized group of people who will grow to hate the bourgeoisie because of the horrible working conditions and rebel. As a result, the bourgeoisie in an attempt to expand capitalism and cultivate more

poor” tension all the time.Karl Marx’s depiction of class conflict illustrates that the masses are the ones who should wage an armed struggle against the ruling class (or the rich), but The Purge ironically boasts a perversion of his idea. Instead, we see how the ruling class eliminates everyone under their wing with bullets and blades. In comparison, it is like witnessing an elite protest where conflicting interests are pitted against each other. Even in a state of normlessness, we see that anarchy remains at the mercy of the elites.

Throughout his life, Langston Hughes wrote multiple poems that were the resounding thoughts of African Americans in the United States. He echoed the strong sentiments of dissatisfaction among the Black population. The 20th century had not only experienced economic panic and near-depression, but was also witness to the strained relationships between Americans due to civil unrest of Black Americans and the subsequent changes that

The increase in industrialization opens up the job market of labor which induces an increase in workforce. Through the fact that “Tokyo is bigger than Kumamoro,” industrialization is taking over rapidly (16). Coming from a traditional Japan, Sanshiro cannot keep up with the fast pace of industrialization. Industries increase the use of machinery which creates the demand of products at a higher pace. This creates conflict between the proletariats because more people are losing jobs. This leads people joining forces to create union groups to express their anger. “Some walked along looking at the sky, others at the ground. All wore shabby clothing. All lived in poverty. And all were serene” (62). The working classes who lose their job due to the increase of machinery are angered by these rich owners. Although Marx predicts that the workers do not have appropriating properties and that they will destroy the properties of bourgeois, this won’t happen is because they are destroying their assets.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement and the enlightenment of black minds as a whole. This movement sparked the minds of many leaders such as Marcus Garvey, W.E.B Dubois, and Langston Hughes, these men would also come to be known as the earliest Civil Rights activists. While Garvey and Dubois expressed their views in speeches and rallies Hughes had a different approach and chose to articulate his thoughts and views through literature more specifically poetry. Through his poetry, Hughes became a world renown poet for such works as “Let America Be America Again”, “Harlem” and “I Too” taken from his first book “The Weary Blues.” These poems while written and inspired by the everyday struggles of being an African-American were arguably targeted at white Americans. Hughes wrote a majority of his work during the Harlem Renaissance and as a result focused on “injustice” and “change” in the hopes that society would recognize their mistake and reconcile, but in order for this to happen he would have to target the right audience.