Theme for English B by LYNNE REEDER

lreeder1 — 2018-03-08 14:39:13 UTC

The instructor said,

    Go home and write
    a page tonight.
    And let that page come out of you—
    Then, it will be true.

I wonder if it’s that simple?
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.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator
up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me 
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what 
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you:
hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like
the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?

Being me, it will not be white. 
But it will be
a part of you, instructor. 
You are white— 
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. 
That’s American.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. 
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true! 
As I learn from you, 
I guess you learn from me— 
although you’re older—and white— 
and somewhat more free.

This is my page for English B.

Whitman

lreeder1 — 2018-03-08 14:39:47 UTC

I feel his influence here, especially in the line "yet a part of me, as I am a part of you." Reminds me of "every atom belonging to you as good belongs to me" from "Song of Myself." We are all connected, no matter how hard we work to forget that.

Normalcy

1970202 — 2018-03-09 13:51:31 UTC

I like how he uses a list of his normal practices to emphasize that he is a human being too. He may be a different race, but nonetheless he is just as human as everyone else .

White Page

2031901 — 2018-03-09 13:51:37 UTC

His page of paper is something that he created. So, if it is something that came from him, people will assume it has to be black. However, we all are connected as he says later, so why couldn't his paper be white?

206336 — 2018-03-09 13:52:05 UTC

When he says, " I guess you learn from me-" he is saying that previously only whites were considered intelligent enough to be able to influence others and teach them, but now people are beginning to realize that blacks know just as much as whites and can teach others as well.

He believes that different races of the world can learn from each other even if they do not always get along.

2021503 — 2018-03-09 13:52:46 UTC

206013 — 2018-03-09 13:53:01 UTC

when the author says "although you're older- and white- and somewhat more free", he is making it a point that his race is still not accepted as equals in society.

2060051 — 2018-03-09 13:53:48 UTC

The introduction allows the reader to form a connection to the narrator that helps them to more understand the struggle he/she took to get to the place they are now.

2060341 — 2018-03-09 13:54:27 UTC

We are all united within America, whether we like it or not, so dealing with the racial and cultural struggles is a part of what establishes our country.

2031901 — 2018-03-09 13:55:49 UTC

Insight

lreeder1 — 2018-03-09 14:00:07 UTC

How strange it must be to have your race be the ultimate factor of your existence at all times. Growing up here in Perry County where there is minimal multicultural ethnicity, I know that I've never thought of my race. I don't walk into a room and think, I'm white. But that's a normal occurrence for Langston Hughes. It's something everyone notices and feels the need to comment on. He's never allowed to just be a person; he's always a black person.

Me-who?

2031901 — 2018-03-09 14:00:35 UTC

When he talks about himself, he never refers to himself as black. Yet, he was not ashamed of his skin-color. He was just proving his point that it does not matter.

2060341 — 2018-03-09 14:00:41 UTC

When Huges says, "yet a part of me, as I am a part of you", he is making a point that no matter what color your skin is, we are all one nation and a white man should be treated the same way as a black.

Garrett

2018-03-09 14:03:00 UTC

Hughes is talking about how hard it is to grow up being colored. He talks about being the only black guy in the class and how he works with his white instructor. He believes that all americans should work together.

2021503 — 2018-03-09 14:03:20 UTC

"Well I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love." This statement helps to show that he does not wish for extravagant things, he just wishes for things any other human would wish for.

206336 — 2018-03-09 14:03:59 UTC

When he says, "I wonder if it's that simple?" he is referring to the fact that nothing has been simple for him or other blacks for generations and they have always had to push through that stigmatism .