I Too Langston Hughes Analysis

During the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was a prevalent author who voiced the struggles of African Americans through his work. His stories and poems were an outlet in which he painted a vibrant picture of the daily experiences of African Americans. Hughes lures readers in with his firsthand outlook on the endeavors of those sharing his heritage and background. Racism is widely known, but Hughes takes readers to a personal level as he describes his everyday experiences with it. In "I, Too", Hughes proposes that African Americans will soon see the light that is a racist free life. He discusses how he is sent away from the whites to eat separately. Similarly, in "Children 's Rhymes" he speaks about the inequality that he faces and not

They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes" (Hughes, Langston). This shows that whites were ashamed of African Americans and try to conceal them. This darkens the line of separation between whites and blacks. These lines show the segregation suffered, even in work or home life. The next lines are more uplifting as he claims, "But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong" (Hughes, Langston). He focuses in on the more positive side of it. Although he is sent away to eat, he is still able to get food in order to grow strong. When reflecting on this, I believe that he not only is talking about growing physically stronger, but mentally. He knows that these struggles will make him a stronger person in the

Nobody 'll dare say to me, "Eat in the kitchen" then" (Hughes, Langston). This proves that he is headstrong and will fight for his basic rights. He won 't allow himself to be pushed around and told what to do anymore. He knows that he is no less of a person than a white man. "Besides, they 'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed- I, too, am America" he confidently declares (Hughes, Langston). He embraces the color of his skin. Especially in his time period, he reached a large audience through his poetry, so I believe that this particular statement empowered a large portion of his audience that was African American. He played a key role in the Harlem Renaissance and his work was widespread. Seeing that a fellow African American writer could embrace his race liberated thousands of African Americans. When he says that he, too, is America, he claims his spot as a true American, even though people might not see him as so. He is the voice for millions of unheard black