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Prejudice And Symbolism In Harlem By Langston Hughes

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B. In Hughes’ “Harlem,” the author uses symbols to describe the feeling of some possible answers to the question “What happens to a dream deferred?” (line 1). This question leaves the reader wondering what is the answer, and what has the author experienced to cause this statement. Answers to these questions can start to be identified in the immediately following lines. The question “Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?” (2-3) immediately starts describing what the author is feeling in that by not being able to fulfill his dream he starts feeling useless, and no longer valuable like a raisin that has been left in the sun and is all burnt up. Hughes does not stop there with just feeling useless. We see in the line “Or fester like a sore …show more content…

stink like rotten meat?” (6) where they are forever denied and the situation that is causing it just gets worst and worst or it “[could] . . . crust and sugar over -” where dreams are pushed to the back of one’s mind and they become callused and crusted like an old sugary treat to the fact that they could have ever deviated from the life they are in now. In the concluding lines of the poem, it has reached its lowest point “Maybe it just sags/ like a heavy load.” (9-10) depression has set in and the knowledge that because your dream was deferred at some time in the past that it will never be accomplished and you are stuck in this monotonous way of life. But then at the last line of the poem, a spark is struck. It states, “Or does it explode” (11) a line that states the anger of an unrighteous situation, it is italicized to bring attention and say we will not stand for this, we will not let our dreams and aspirations be dashed, no we will fight and we will fulfill our dreams. Langston Hughes uses these symbols to help convey the emotions of himself and the people in these situations where their dreams have been deferred, the feeling of uselessness, disgust, apathy, and depression but in the end after all that has been done to him and the people he still sees a small glimmer of hope and asks the question will you stand for this, or will you

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