Comparing Mother To Son By Langston Hughes And To James By Frank Horne

Over the past quarter we’ve read several short stories and poems. While most poems have different themes, each developed in their own way, two stories stuck out to me with similar themes: “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and “To James” by Frank Horne. In the texts “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and “To James” by Frank Horne, both authors develop the theme of never giving up through conflict, repetition, and word choice. In the first text, Mother to Son, the message is that you should never give up no matter how hard life gets. In the second text, James, the message is that you should keep pushing, never give up and you’ll be victorious.

In “Mother to Son”, Mr. Hughes develops the theme of conflict. The mother talks to her son about life

Hughes develops the theme through repetition. In stanzas 2-6, she says “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair, it had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up, and places with no carpet on the floor”. The way she talks about life being stairs and there being obstacles on those stairs is a metaphor for how hard life can be to keep going, but that you can never give up. In stanzas 14-15 she says “So boy, don’t you turn back, don’t you set down on the steps” This means that you shouldn’t give up on life and stop. In “To James”, Mr. Horne also develops this theme by using something/someone referring to athletic competitions and races. This could be between the thing and James. In stanzas 42-46 it says “Run straight, run high, run hard, save nothing, and finish”. I think this means to keep going and not stop trying until you

Hughes also develops this theme through word choice. “I’se still climbin’, and I’se still going, and life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”. This refers to how she’s still trying and keeps going, despite life not being in her favor. In “To James” Mr. Horne uses word choice as well as we see the thing that talks to James says in stanzas 31-34 “To run boy, it’s a short dash, dig your starting holes, deep and firm” and in stanzas 35-38, it says “Lurch out of them, into the straightway, with all the power, that is in you”. I think this refers to how you need to try your hardest and work very hard to be victorious. This is what the thing means by lurching out of your starting hole with all the power. It refers to trying your hardest to