Langston Hughes Tone

Langston Hughes was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance who evinced the dignity of blacks in America. In the poems “I, Too,” and “Theme for English B,” Hughes describes two different instances of discrimination a black man in America encounters. In each poem, Hughes expounds on the similarities and differences between himself and white individuals in America. Uniquely, Hughes asserts his individualism while also embodying how black people are forced to persevere through racial inequalities in America. Together these two poems signify the ways in which Hughes embraces his blackness in the face of discrimination. Moreover, he utilizes a positive tone to indicate the hope he has for a future based on racial equality, an assertive

In, “I, Too,” Hughes describes the injustices he has to face because of his skin tone, “They send me to eat in the kitchen/When company comes.” However, he negates this injustice by adding, “But I laugh,/and eat well,/and grow strong,” to contradict the subordination he withstands. This shows how he remains positive because he laughs, eats well, and grows strong in spite of being shamed for his “darker” skin complexion. Hughes’ positive tone despite his given circumstances symbolizes his endurance while being compelled to eat in the kitchen when company arrives. In this instance, Hughes faces marginalization because he is put in a state of inferiority in comparison to his counterparts. In “Theme for English B,” Hughes says, “I am the only colored person in my class,” specifying that he is a minority in his English class. He then adds, “Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love/I like to work, read, learn, and understand life,” explaining his interests in a positive manner. He says, “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like/the same things other folks like who are other races,” displaying common similarities between people of different races and himself. Lastly, he denotes, “So will my page be colored that I write,” employing a rhetorical question to signify how common interests make him no different

As mentioned previously, Hughes contradicts his subordination in “I, Too,” describing how he will “eat well” and“grow strong.” Subsequently, Hughes says, “They’ll see how beautiful I am/And be ashamed,” symbolizing the assurance of the dominant race accepting him for who he is and the color of his skin. In this context, Hughes’ beauty symbolizes his empowerment. He expresses this hope as a product of self-assurance, recognizing how beautiful and strong he remains through this inferior state. By remaining confident, he explains how it will ultimately transform him into something “beautiful,” thereby compelling the dominant race to be ashamed of excluding him from their idea of America. Particularly, the dominant race will be ashamed after realizing Hughes’ power of endurance over them. In“Theme for English B,” Hughes writes, “So will my page be colored that I write?/Being me, it will not be white./But it will be/a part of you.” In this example, Hughes proposes a rhetorical question to his professor, answering it with a symbolic phrase. He says, “Being me, it will not be white,” giving his instructor a depiction of his “true” identity. Specifically, Hughes responds to the class prompt, as his professor instructed, by writing a paper that has, “come out of you.” Hughes’ utilizes symbolism in this example by rendering himself as different from his