Langston Hughes - Contributions to the Literary World - Research Paper Example

?Langston Hughes: contributions to the literary world The genres and sub-genres within the literary world are indebted to the contributions by world renowned writers. One can see that working class- literature and African American literature provide importance to the problems faced by the working-class and the African Americans in the mainstream society. On the other side, Harlem Renaissance focused on the same themes made use by working class- literature and African American literature. Within this scenario, Langston Hughes is a prominent African American writer who unveiled the scope of working-class/African American literature and Harlem Renaissance. Thesis statement: Langston Hughes’ contributions to working- class literature, African American literature, and the Harlem Renaissance proves that his contributions are significant within the context of literature. Langston Hughes’ contributions: This section is broadly divided into three, including: working- class literature, African American literature, and the Harlem Renaissance. Working- class literature: Within the context of the literary world, Hughes’ contributions to the working-class literature are remarkable. To be specific, Hughes utilized working-class themes in his works. Harold Bloom made clear that, “He proposed cultural nationalism-the overt physical, emotional and psychological manifestations of the struggle of black people” (50). On the other side, the racial problems forced the African Americans to be the working –class in the mainstream society. This reduced the scope of proper education and development for the African Americans. So, the working-class people were forced to be within the lower strata of the society. This attracted Hughes’ attention and he valued their experiences in the society. Hughes was aware of the fact that working-class identity can help an individual to preserve his/her cultural identity. To be specific, during the beginning and following years of the 20th century, the working class people were free to maintain their culture and identity. So, Hughes made use of these working-class people to create characters for his works. For instance, Hughes’ works portrayed the hardships suffered by the working class people in America. R. Baxter Miller made clear that, “Yet no single genre ever imprisoned Langston Hughes, who rebelled against formal limits as easily as he opposed social ones” (119). At the same time, Hughes’ characters were not ready to ignore their cultural identity. For instance, the novel Not without Laughter is symbolic of Hughes’ attachment towards working-class people. To be specific, Hughes admired the qualities of working-class people and portrayed the same in his works. African- American literature: Most of the works by Hughes portray the lives of African-Americans in the mainstream society. Laurie F. Leach opined that, “However, Hughes celebrates the “low-down folks” who make up the majority of American black” (37). During the beginning and following years of the 20th century, the African American literature underwent rapid transformation owing to the changes in the society. During this time, Hughes portrayed African-American life in his works by making use of the social injustices like political marginalization, racial problems and related issues faced by the African-Americans. Joseph McLaren stated that, “As a journeyman playwright, Hughes employed themes found in his 1920s poetry: African heritage, the legacy of slavery, African American rural and urban folk culture, and racial oppression signified by Jim Crow” (1). But Hughes never tried to blame the upper class society. Instead, he portrayed the lives of the African-Americans in the society. To be specific, he was aware of the fact that blaming the upper class society cannot solve the problems faced by the lower class people, especially the African-Americans. So, he made use of African American life as a tool to portray the problems faced by them. His collection of poetry, named as The Negro Mother and Other Dramatic Recitations, and the poem named as Let America Be America Again are symbolic of his positive attitude towards African American life. The Harlem Renaissance: Within the context of Harlem Renaissance, Hughes’ contributions are noteworthy because he is the mastermind behind the growth and development of the same as a cultural movement. Maurice Orlando Wallace stated that, “His reputation is nearly synonymous with the Harlem Renaissance cultural movement, which began around 1919 and witnessed the flowering of new literary, musical, and artistic talents by a generation of extraordinary African-American artists ”(7). One can see that the Harlem Renaissance initiated the protest against the white dominance in Art and literature. Besides, Hughes’ works ignited the spirit of cultural unity among the black artists and writers in America. Hughes’ work named as Not Without Laughter portrays the protagonist’s attempt to follow the footsteps of eminent African American leaders. This novel ignited the spirit of cultural nationalism among the African Americans and influenced the African American writers. So, during the Harlem Renaissance period, Hughes made use of his literary craftsmanship to ignite racial pride, and eventually led the African American community to be proud of their cultural identity. Summing, Hughes’ childhood memories deeply influenced his life and contributions to literature. He felt so proud of being an African American and his identity as an individual who is aware of the problems faced by the working-class people. At the same time, Hughes utilized his writing as a medium to expose discrimination and marginalization faced by his fellow beings. Besides, he made use of Harlem Renaissance as a medium to express his feelings on social injustices in the society. In short, Hughes’ contributions to the literary world are significant because he made use of literature as an innovative medium for social criticism. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Langston Hughes: Comprehensive Research and Study Guide. Broomall: Infobase Publishing, 1998. Print. Leach, Laurie F. Langston Hughes: A Biography. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Print. Miller, R. Baxter. The Art And Imagination of Langston Hughes. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2006. Print. McLaren, Joseph. Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921-1943. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997. Print. Wallace, Maurice Orlando. Langston Hughes: The Harlem Renaissance. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish, 2008. Print. Bloom, Harold. Langston Hughes: Comprehensive Research and Study Guide. Broomall: Infobase Publishing, 1998. Print. (Page number: 50). Leach, Laurie F. Langston Hughes: A Biography. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Print. (Page number: 37). Miller, R. Baxter. The Art And Imagination of Langston Hughes. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2006. Print. (Page number: 119). McLaren, Joseph. Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921-1943. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997. Print. (Page number: 1) Wallace, Maurice Orlando. Langston Hughes: The Harlem Renaissance. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish, 2008. Print. (Page number: 7). Read More