Home Is Where The Hatred Is Analysis

Gil Scott-Heron and Home Gil Scott-Heron is considered by many to be the “The Godfather of Rap”, and one of the greatest poets of all time. Many artist have sold more records than Heron, but few artist are able to match the influence Heron’s words have had on many in The Black Community. Growing up, Heron idolized black leaders such as Malcolm X, and black artist such as Langston Hughes. He was following Hughes footsteps when he decided to go to Historically Black College, Lincoln University to study creative writing. It was here that he met musician Brian Jackson, who he soon began to create the majority of his most influential works with after leaving college. Heron used his music to speak out about whatever issues he felt were pertinent …show more content…
Many of the sentiments Heron has in this piece, are similar to the sentiments found in novel “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison. The main character in this novel considers himself invisible because of his condition of blackness. The speaker in “Home Is Where the Hatred Is” bemoans the fact that “I left three days ago, but no one seems to know I’m gone. The speakers in both of these pieces feel as if they don’t matter; or as if the validation of their condition is contingent on other people. These feelings are exactly the same, except while Ellison’s character’s disillusionment is felt more in the vein of blackness, Heron’s character’s disillusionment is geared more towards substance abuse. In “Invisible Man”, Ellison’s character has something like a home that he can find some comfort in. This is a contrast to “Home Is Where the Hatred Is” in that Home, or comfort, for the speaker in the song is the same thing that is destroying him. The speaker in the song says “Home is filled with pain and it might not be such a bad idea if I never, never went home again” When speaking in this manner it seems that the speakers home is represented by Heroin, a home he feels ashamed to go back