Essay on Idealism in Let America Be America Again by...

Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes In the poem Let America Be America Again, Langston Hughes paints a vivid word picture of a depressed America in the 1930s. To many living in America, the idealism presented as the American Dream had escaped their grasp. In this poetic expression, a speaker is allowed to voice the unsung Americans concern of how America was intended to be, had become to them, and could aspire to be again. Using a conversational style, the author allows the speaker and listener to interact with each other. The issue addressed is that America is not the democratic ideal of all of its people. The original speaker begins in a fairly common quatrain stanza; however,†¦show more content†¦The speaker actually asks the listener, interjecting the understated stanzas, to identify who they are with the question, Say who are you that mumbles in the dark? (17). Now, the listener is free to speak of the many people living in this country who are not free and who are not equal. The respondent passionately expounds who they are: the poor white, the Negro, the red man, the immigrant, the young man, as well as those farmers, factory workers, and servants who built this country. Yet in spite of their many contributions to this land, they still view America as, A dream-- / Still beckoning to me! (52-53). The author allows us to infer that he is among those from the African-American heritage by the specific language used to describe the various types of people. The author is careful to use neutral wording; however, when referring to the Negro, the use of oppressive terminology suggests that the listener responding is especially sympathetic to the plight of the blacks. It is phrases such as, I am the Negro bearing slaverys scars (20) and torn from Black Africas strand I came (49), which enable us to perceive the speakers special affinity with the African people. By using a more specific designation when referring to the Negro, it is natural to assume that the speaker is also a Negro. The speaker subtly interjects the continuing oppression of the African American and establishes a hierarchyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Catch 22 By Joseph Heller2017 Words   |  9 PagesAmerican Idealism American Idealism forms the way we think something should be and how we perceive it. However, the idealism of American thought is not always correct. As individuals, we should strive to come up with our own opinions and thoughts on what is right for us and not is thought to be right by many. In American, we are taught what our views should be on war, on the treatment of blacks and the treatment of women should be. We are taught that we have a right to fight whomever we want andRead MoreAnalysis Of Catch 22 By Joseph Heller2026 Words   |  9 PagesAmerican Idealism forms the way we think something should be and how we perceive it. However, the idealism of American thought is not always correct. As individuals, we should strive to come up with our own opinions and thoughts on what is right for us and not is thought to be right by many. In American, we are taught what our views should be about war, on the treatment of blacks and the treatment of women should be. We are taught that we have a right to fight whomever we want and by going to war