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Analysis Of A Letter To My Nephew By Langston Baldwin

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Langston Hughes depicts how discrimination has a direct impact on the speaker to explore how it influences the understanding of the speakers identity. The poem starts with the speaker stating "I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen”(Lines 2-3), describing the discrimination they face, being caste away from the public eyes and forced into the shadows. This message is portraying how societal norms dictate how an individual is seen and treated, leading to a distorted understanding of ones self. The opening line, "I am the darker brother," (Line 2) acknowledges the speaker's marginalized position in society, but despite this the speaker embraces his identity and resists societal norms. The speaker’s emphasis saying, “I’ll be at the table when company comes. nobody’ll dare …show more content…

Baldwin urges his nephew to recognize the struggle of their ancestors and to take pride in their heritage. He emphasizes that embracing one's cultural identity can serve as a powerful tool to combat the discrimination and prejudice. Baldwin uses imagery to highlight the black heritage as he says, “the black man has functioned in the white man's world as a fixed star, as an immovable pillar, and as he moves out of his place, heaven and earth are shaken to their foundations”, this metaphor speaks on the importance black Americans have on America’s culture and history, highlighting the fact his nephew needs to embrace who he is in this worked, and know their contribution. Balwin then reminds his nephew, “If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go”(), ensuring his nephew that his heritage is inspiration and can give him strength to break out of the mold and reach his full potential. Baldwin’s letter serves as a reminder as a reminder to recognize one’s cultural identity, and use it to fight against

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