Analysis Of Mother To Son By Langston Hughes

After reading the selection of poems by Langston Hughes the one that spoke to me was Mother to Son. This poem has a strong theme of how gruesome life could be in America prior to the Civil Rights Movement. The mother, who is the narrator of the poem, uses the image of a staircase to symbolize her life’s journey. Instead of the perfect staircase that would have been seen in Gatsby’s house, she often refers to the staircase by saying “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” Through her words she vividly describes her life experiences and challenges through the illustration of the staircase. The obstacle and challenges are heard in her figurative description of the staircase. She states that the staircase had tacks, splinters, and was lacking carpet. By describing the staircase this way she demonstrates that the staircase is a treacherous and dangerous place with many obstacles.

The image of the staircase could also represent the unjust path of life for African Americans in America prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Before the Civil Rights Movement blacks were separated from others and treated much worse than anyone else in the country. Referring back to the concept of the staircase the theme comes across clearly. The obstacle and struggles, (depicted by the staircase) that the Africans had to overcome/climb was not always pleasant. The tacks and splinters in the staircase symbolize the tragedies and obstacle of African American lives. For example, many Africans were separated from their families and were forced into labor. America was certainly not the ‘Land of opportunity’ for the