Langston Hughes writes in "Theme for English B":
"I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here
to this college on the hill above Harlem."
Compare his short piece to Zora Neale Hurston's "How it Feels to Be Colored Me."
How do Hughes and Hurston differ in their approaches to their own racial identity?
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ReplyDeleteHughes is colored just like Hurston is. However, Hughes does not feel as comfortable in his skin as Hurston did. He has not completely come to terms with the fact that he is colored. In fact while writting the prompt he was given by his white Professor, Hughes states he does not know who he is writting it for. He says that it is partly for his black roots, but also for his Professors roots, which are white. Hurston on the other hand is very confident in her color. She says it is harder to be colored but it has made her who she is.
ReplyDeleteHughes seems less aware of the fact he is black. He makes it seem like there isn't much of a difference between black and white but instead they are a part of each other.
ReplyDeleteHughes seems to discuss his color in an entirely different way than Hurtson. Hughes sees the connections between his colored self and his white professor. He identifies that his color does not change the things that he likes, and that he enjoys many of the same things as a white person would. I believe through his poem he is expressing that although there are many similarities between the black and white man, there will always be that speration: he will always be black and his professor always white. There will always be a slight difference and pehaps some tension between the two races in his eyes. As for Hurtson, she does not see her color as a problem. She simply does not feel her color has any impact on the way she thinks or feels. She is simply living life. Hughes says at one point in his poem: "you are white - yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That's American." I think that this quote shows a conncetion between Hughes and Hurtson's beliefs. They are both Americans. We are all Americans and despite our race we will think and act they way we wish.
ReplyDeleteI feel that in comparing Hughes to Hurston, Hughes is comfortable with his color yet not at the same time. He says he is the only colored person in his class but at the same time he doesnt seem to care. He compares himself to his teacher and says that they are both parts of each other in different ways. Hurston on the other hand knows she is colored but also, thinks differently of white people. She thought that they were the same as she was.
ReplyDeletei think that Hughes differs from Hurston because Hughes looks at the different colors of people. He notices that his professor is white, his whole school is white, and he states at the end of his poem that whites even have some freedom over blacks. Even though that used to be true, i feel that Hurston would not see it that way. She didnt look at the color of people because to her, everyone was the same and thats why Hughes differs from Hurston.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading both passages from Huges and Hurston I think the main difference is that Huges looks at it like black and white aren't entirely different, but instead he feels like they are part of each other. I gathered this when he said "As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me-" Hurston and Huges are both very strong people.
ReplyDeleteI think that in one way Hughes and Hurston are the same. They both know that they are colored, whether they accept it or not they both let you know that they are colored and tell you how they live their life knowing that. The difference i found was Hughes really feels out of place when he thinks about himself being colored. He feels it seperates him from others. The promt he was given to write confuses him because it was given by his white professor, so he doesn't know who the prompt is for exactly. He sees that he would write some of the prompt on his black roots, but since his professor his white, he would also write some of it on white roots.
ReplyDeleteHurston however sees being colored as something to embrace and be proud of. Hurston really shows that color doesnt change anything, that life shouldnt be any different being colored compared to a white person.
Hughes seems more comfortable talking about being colored and actually being colored than Hurston did. Hurston talked about the tough times colored people went through being colored and Hughes talks about making in the world and through college. Being colored is not something to be ashamed of, it is something to be proud of and you should not think that being colored makes you any less a person then anyone else. I think this is what Hughes is trying to tell people. So was Hurston. These two readings are very similar in there own ways.
ReplyDeleteHughes has a different view than Zora. His veiw is more modern and acceptable, it seems. Hughes accepts people and knows we are all just people trying to get by in life. He also thinks that people should accept him because in some shape or form he is apart of him and he is apart of them.
ReplyDeleteI think that Hughes looks at his race in a different way than Hurston. Langston Hughes talks about how even though him and his instructor have different skin colors, they are still Americans, and in a sense, still the same. He says that "As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me." I feel like this is a good way to compare the two; even though they are of different races, they are still humans. Hurston grew up in an all-black town, therefore she was more comfortable with people of her race. When she moved, she noticed white people treating her differently, but did not know exactly why. It took her a little longer to realize it was racism. This may be because she feels more comfortable with her race.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading both of these passages, i beleve that Hughes realizes the fact that he is colored but hurstan realizes the same thing. The only real difference is that one, as in hurstan accepts the fact that he is black but hughes i dont beleve does, like he realizes it but does not come to terms with it. Hughes seems to clasify and view people as the color of their skin meanwhile i do not think that hurstan does...
ReplyDeleteI would say that after reading both passages from Hurston and Hughes that unlike Hurston Hughes isn't as comfortable being colored as Hurston is. At the end of Hughes passage he says that white and black are a part of each other and learn from each other but since his professor is white he gets more freedom. He also states how he is the only black man in his class which makes him feel out of place. When I read Hurston's passage she seemed more comfortable with her color and was not ashamed of it. However she was raised in a town where whites only passed through town and did not live where she did.
ReplyDeleteFor one white and black are not colors they are shades, this may be the way that Hughes feels about his identity. He does not view people as different them him even if there born a different shade of skin which makes him a strong person seeing that his teacher and peers are all white. Hurston at the same time bieleves that color of skin does not matter. The contrast is she enbraces her differance and is proud of it unlike Hughes who just accepts who he is.
ReplyDeletein this black and white is no longer a color it is a shade, this is how Hughes believes it should be, he does not see colors and he is very accepting of anyone because he realizes how it should be
ReplyDelete