Langston Hughes | Themes

Langston Hughes Themes

Division of White and Black

The division between white and black, also called the color line, was a palpable thing during Hughes' life. Because he lived mostly in the early part of the twentieth century, Hughes was susceptible to Jim Crow laws for most of his life. There are many instances in this biography where Hughes is denied equal rights because of the color of his skin. One instance occurs on the train ride home from Mexico. When the conductor finds out he is black, Langston is denied a sleeping car. Another instance of racism occurred when Langston was still a boy. He wanted to purchase food at a white cafeteria, but when he received his bill, it was fifty times the appropriate price. Because of this mentality, Hughes' life was often an uphill struggle; he often encountered locked doors where a white artist would have discovered open ones. Rather than develop an aggressive attitude...
(read more)