Essay on Langston Hughes and Jesse B. Simple - 1074 Words

â€Å"Lansgton Hughes and Jesse B. Semple† In the early 1940s an African American writer by the name of Langston Hughes, who flourished during the Harlem Renaissance in New York, had established a character in his short story writings named Jesse B. Semple. Through these short stories he used this character to represent the black man of his times. However the question remains, is Jesse B. Semple an accurate representation of the black man of 1940s? This question can best be answered by looking at the conditions of society during that time period, what the mind set of the black man in that era and comparing it to the representation that Hughes created with Jesse B. Semple. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Langston Hughes was born on February 1st,†¦show more content†¦The society in which Langston Hughes was projecting his work to was the era of the Harlem Renaissance. However, even though the, â€Å"Simple† stories were created during the Harlem Renaissance they held more importance during the 1940s. To best comprehend what the character, Jesse B. Semple represented you must look at the society of that era and the point in time he was created. Hughes began writing the, â€Å"Simple† stories in 1943. It started as a weekly column in the Negro Newspaper, the Chicago Defender. During the 1940s the black man was still experiencing oppression and segregation from the whites in America. The Civil Rights movement had not yet taken place so blacks were still considered less then a citizen. Blacks in America could not vote yet nor could they eat in the same restaurants as whites or even get a job other than a servant in a white business or establ ishment. Therefore, with the type of climate that the society of the 1940s had, many of the black authors coming out of the Harlem Renaissance, especially Hughes, were considered radicals. During the 1940s there were many authors creating poems and stories to try and uplift the spirit of the black community in New York. However, Langston Hughes felt inspired to write about a fictional character, which in he attempted to represent all of the feelings of the black man without being blatant or bold: â€Å"Jesse B. Semple is certainly no romantic hero, protest victim orShow MoreRelatedLangston Hughes and Jesse B. Simple1109 Words   |  5 PagesLansgton Hughes and Jesse B. Semple In the early 1940s an African American writer by the name of Langston Hughes, who flourished during the Harlem Renaissance in New York, had established a character in his short story writings named Jesse B. Semple. Through these short stories he used this character to represent the black man of his times. However the question remains, is Jesse B. Semple an accurate representation of the black man of 1940s? This question can best be answered by looking at theRead MoreLangston Hughes and the Civil Rights Movement.1725 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the early 1930s many black writers begin to produce works that helped to shape and define the Civil Rights movement. Among them was Langston Hughes whose poems and writing contributed directly to the rhetoric of the day and inspired many African-Americans, both in and out of the Civil Rights movement. Much of this grew out of what was called the Harlem Renaissance, which emerged during turbulent times for the world, the United States, and blac k Americans. World War I and the Bolshevik RevolutionRead MoreLangston Hughes : The Black Writers Of The Harlem Renaissance1488 Words   |  6 Pageswriters of the 1900’S is Langston Hughes. While many writers focused on one style or category of writing, Langston Hughes is the most versatile of all of the writers from the Harlem Renaissance. While the state of Missouri is known for its largest cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City and for famous attractions such as the Gateway Arch, the state is also the birthplace of one of the most well-known writers of the early Twentieth Century. James Mercer Langston Hughes is an American author, writerRead MoreTales of Simple Essay examples1080 Words   |  5 PagesTales of Simple and the Symbolic Undertone Langston Hughes is considered to be one of the most well known poets/writers in the modern era. One of his most notable works was a series of fictional short stories called Tales of Simple. In these tales, Hughes uses symbolism to express his feelings and views on African American history through the character Jesse B. Semple. In literary terms, the word â€Å"symbolism† is defined as being a person, object or event that suggests more than its literal meaningRead MoreEssay on The Poetry of Langston Hughes During the Harlem Renaissance1694 Words   |  7 Pagesartistic movement it was. II. Langston Hughes â€Å"I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older Than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers.† â€Å"I’ve Known Rivers†-Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes, (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was born in Joplin, Missouri, to James Nathaniel and Caroline Hughes in 1902. Hughes’ parents were of mixed-race, and Langston Hughes was of African American, EuropeanRead More Langston Hughes Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesLangston Hughes Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was named after his father, James Hughes, but was known as Langston. He was the only child from his parents James and Carrie Hughes. His parents were not married for long because of an unhappy marriage. When they separated, Langston was left with his mother, who left him behind to move from city to city to find work. Langston ended up living with his 70 year-old grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas. He livedRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance M Langston Hughes1243 Words   |  5 PagesFalasco Mrs. Getz Language Arts 10 Honors 6 April 2016 The Harlem Renaissance Man: Langston Hughes â€Å"I too sing America. I am the darker brother.† (Langston Hughes, â€Å"I, Too,† from Collected Poems, 46). Langston Hughes had many factors throughout his life that influenced his works. He was an artist that had works that crossed over into jazz, blues, and expressed his culture. During the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes shared his African American pride with others through his poetry, promoting equalityRead More Langston Hughes Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pages Langston Hughes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People always listen to music, watch movies or plays, and even read poetry without once even thinking what is could be that helps and artist eventually create a masterpiece. Often times, it is assumed that artists just have a â€Å"gift†, and people just do not consider the circumstances and situations that gradually mold a dormant idea into a polished reality. This seems to be the case with nearly every famous actor, writer, painter, or musician; including the ever-famousRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Langston Hughes 1451 Words   |  6 PagesAccelerated English 10 16 May 2017 Langston Hughes The â€Å"Poet Laureate of Harlem† as they called him was a very influential writer during the Harlem Renaissance (DISCovering Multicultural America, par. 2). He showed what life was like from his eyes and hoped that racial prejudice would stop once people understood what life was like for him. This is the story of Langston Hughes, who stood up for what he believed in and always fought for African American rights. Langston Hughes was an author during the HarlemRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 PagesIn 1919, when Langston Hughes was seventeen years old, he spent the summer with his father, Jim Hughes, in Toluca, Mexico. Langston had not seen his father since he was a small child, and he was excited about making the trip. However, during this visit, no affectionate bond would develop between Langston and Jim. Jim Hughes was a cold, difficult man, who was driven by ambition to make money and achieve respect. He had moved to Mexico to avoid segregatio n and racial injustice in the United States