Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes - Essay Example

Essay, English Reader Response Criticism of Let America be America Again and Harlem (A dream deferred) by Langston Hughes If one carefully reads through the title of the poem “Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes, he makes it known that he has gone through the experiences of two Americas. The America that deserves condemnation and the America that he is proud of! Though he mentions about the struggles of African Americans, the race to which he belongs, the suffering that he undergoes is more or less applicable to the struggles of all non-white minority races of America. When he mentions “America never was America to me” (p.189,Line 5) what he means that African Americans are also part of the freedom struggle of America and their contribution is not less than the white race, and yet freedom does not free them in the real sense. They face discrimination at every turn of their existence and their actions are being judged. The second battle is tougher than the earlier one, because it is the attack on their sentimental world and essential dignity of their efforts to live with honor. No writer or poet can sweep under the carpet one’s real life experiences and they are bound to find reflection in the writings. Similar is the case with Hughes, and he candidly admits it. He experiences the trauma of segregation and the type of inhuman treatments being meted out to the blacks. He lives to see the changes that engulf the American social and cultural scenario as slavery is banned; all types of racial acts and slurs are legally forbidden and all citizens are equal on all counts. But legal protection is just one part of the story. Hughes makes a fervent appeal for total freedom in the real sense of the term. He writes “But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe”. (p.190, Lines 13-14) Hughes is sad to observe the ground realities, as racial comments are still in vogue, the superiority complex of the white race is prevalent, inferiority complex of the black race persists, blacks are still considered as stereotypes and America is still divided on racial lines, notwithstanding the geographical unity. But Hughes is proud of the fact that an individual with the will to grow can grow in America, everyone has a free education, and legally no one is better than the other. One feels secured under such conditions and has something to look forward to in life. How does this poem make you feel about America? Langston Hughes (Born: 1-2-1902: Died: 22-5-1967) would have been happy to observe things taking shape for the better with each passing day, for the African American race. Recollection of the bitter past becomes tolerable when the present states of affairs are sound. This poem sets me thinking, how fortunate I am to have been born and live in the present period. My heart goes out to the ancestors of the African Americans who suffer untold miseries, physical punishments and mental torture, denial of education and they are compelled to confront all the negativities that one can think of. The present African American generation must be proud of what they are able to accomplish and progress they are making in all walks of life. In short, this poem is like a powerful current that creates great vibrations in my heart. It is inspiring and evocative. My story of struggle in America My story of struggle to establish in America is somewhat similar, if not as grim as that of the race to which Langston Hughes belongs. My parents immigrate to America from India in the 1980s to settle in New York City. I am the first generation Indian American of my family to be born and to take college education in New Jersey. My parents have the problem of getting used to the American accent and language and assimilation with the co-workers is a tough asking and honorable survival is not all that easy. They learn the English language literally from the scratch. Being exposed to the popular culture of America, I grow up as an anti-social, adopt negativities to which the youth are normally attracted to, and on getting admission in the college I am gripped with fear, as to how I am going to cope with the new environment where all my classmates are young, and my distinct dress code and demeanor work to my disadvantage as I am much senior to them in age. But it is never too late to reform in life and I have decided to transform myself by developing an attitude of service and surrender for a cause to help those who cannot speak for themselves, (those with disability of impaired speech) as I am going to qualify as a Speech Therapist in the next three years, hopefully. As a child, as per my recollection, I suffer from the disadvantage of not being properly taken care of. The traditional families in India have a different approach to bringing up children. Their heart is good and pure but their verbal slangs to deal with the children are discouraging. My mother does the same thing to me. Perhaps she has inherited those qualities from her mother. My inferiority complex and lack of self-confidence is certainly due to her style of disposition towards me but now I do not worry about it nor do I blame her for what has happened. My relationship with her has changed much for the better and I feel freer to interact with her and as time rolls by, my familial relations are shaping friendly and well. I am able to connect the social liberation experienced by the African Americans with my own liberation from the traditions and the process of getting assimilated to the lifestyles of America has been progressing well. Harlem (A Dream Deferred) The theme of Langston Hughes’ poem is somewhat like ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. God sees the truth, but how long is the man to wait? In this poem Hughes emphasizes the importance of dreams. Dreams lead to accomplishment and before that puts one through the acid test of process of living. Unless one develops firm conviction about the process of living, the dreams are likely to remain unfulfilled. Hughes knows the importance of dreams and how they provide the kick start to life. With the abolition of slavery and end of racism, every African-American is beginning to live again; it is almost like a second birth for them. From being racial stereotypes, they need to emerge as independent personalities in their own right and Hughes through his writings tirelessly advocates for civil rights, challenges rampart racism and injustice and his powerful voice is well respected in the African American community and all other right-thinking Americans. In “Harlem (A Dream Deferred”) Hughes champions the cause of dreams and propounds how delayed and shattered dreams are the cause of social unrest and lead to unpleasant consequences. He writes this poem in the wake of the difficulties encountered by the residents of Harlem, mostly African Americans, in the aftermath of World War II. The author warns about the grim consequences of deferred dreams, when the patience of the dreamer is put to test on account of insurmountable hurdles on the path of success. Hughes articulates that dreams are the important parts of the everyday life of an individual. Dreaming and acting upon to accomplish them, both are important. Any lethargy on this account will lead to unpleasant consequences. Casual approach to dreams is most unwelcome. Hughes compares the dreams as real as flesh and as vital and vibrant as food. Dreams are not something placed on ivory tower and they are not external embellishments either. They are the ground realities and demand action, otherwise they will haunt the concerned individual. Dreams are not just about fanciful thinking. One should not allow dreams to sit around collecting dust. Get going. With the promised change, with legal guarantees, every African American has cultivated his private dream, like to own residential dwelling, proper education for children and a decently paying job. Deferral of such a dream to an expectant heart is the cause of agony and frustration. In “Harlem” the poet begins with the question “What happens to a dream deferred?”(p.426, Line 1) and creates several unresolved situations. The solutions tendered by him to the original question are in the tone of probity rather than judgmental. Dream deferred is obviously addressed to the African Americans. That dream refers to several constitutional guarantees granted to them, but they are never translated into reality in the day to day contexts. The society continues to practice discrimination overtly and covertly. Their dreams are never fulfilled. They are delayed, deferred and postponed. All promises remain on paper only and nothing is translated into reality. Hope soon gives to hopelessness, which in turn leads to frustration and has the potentiality to lead to mass unrest and revolution. Hughes has the same situation in mind when in the last line of the poem he articulates “Or does it explode?”(p.426, Line-11)He warns about the consequences of keeping the dreams in the waiting list for too long as one day that will lead to social damages. A dream postponed is comparable to a painful injury and it signals danger to the overall health when that wound begins to get infected. In my opinion, the above two poems are extraordinary, the literary gems, and they are as good as the pages of racial history of America. Conclusion The above poems are meant to bolster the sagging spirit of the African-Americans with the clear warning that they are the creators of their destinies and they need to offer unrelenting support to those who work for the welfare of this race. Efforts for individual perfection and fight for justice must go on together like the train that speeds on two parallel tracks. The legal battle for equality has been won collectively, and the battle against discrimination will have to be fought by each individual as per the demands of the situation. The going is tough and the indomitable spirit of the African Americans needs awakening. Work Cited Hughes, Langston. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes (Vintage Classics).Ed. Arnold Rampersad: Vintage; New York, NY: 1995, Print Read More