Violence has been a prevalent issue in the world for centuries. Violence appears in many forms, including war and crime. It is part of an unfortunate reality that affects people worldwide, causing suffering and destruction. In today's age, violence seems more like a concept shown through phones and television screens, but it is a tragic truth for some people, especially women and African Americans. In the 1950s, Langston Hughes, author of the poem "Harlem," shined a light on issues of racism. He wanted to use his voice through his poems and end the mistreatment African Americans endured. Joyce Carol Oates was another popular author who wrote "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Oates used her short story to spread awareness of endangered
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The poem shows the frustration felt by African Americans in Harlem as they faced oppression and discrimination. Hughes uses imagery to express a sense of hopelessness felt by the community. He asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?" (Clifford 921) Emotional and psychological violence took a toll on many individuals. However, this poem does not only refer to mental violence; it also has an underlying message of lynching. In Jason Miller's article, Langston Hughes and American Lynching Culture, he states, "It is uncanny how much Hughes's imagery resembles the lynched body... Hughes tells us that these dreams are not a grape that dries up but an already dried raisin that becomes even drier." (Miller 108, 109) According to Miller, Hughes's poem is an analogy for a lynched body. Lines such as "Does it dry up like a rain in the sun?" Clifford 921) and "Does it stink like rotten meat?" Clifford 921) refers to this. Through this intense imagery, Hughes forces readers to confront the harsh reality African Americans face in …show more content…
The character of Arnold Friend uses manipulation and intimidation to control the protagonist, Connie. From the moment he arrives at her house, Arnold gives off a sense of danger that is impossible for Connie to ignore. As Arnold's true intentions become clear, Connie confronts the situation, but she is left helpless and defenseless. Oates states, "She cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth in her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with again and again with no tenderness. A noisy, sorrowful wailing rose all about her, and she was locked inside it the way she was locked inside this house." (Oates 2213) This moment implies an act of violence made by Arnold, as he stabs Connie repeatedly. Connie is left defenseless after this moment, making readers question her fate. At the end of the short story, Oates states, "She put her hand against the screen. She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were back safe somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and his head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited." Oates 2214 This ending leaves readers with many unanswered questions. What happened to Connie? Did she live in the city? Where did they go from? Joyce Carol Oates’ intense writing and her themes of violence force readers to see the harsh
The poem shows the frustration felt by African Americans in Harlem as they faced oppression and discrimination. Hughes uses imagery to express a sense of hopelessness felt by the community. He asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?" (Clifford 921) Emotional and psychological violence took a toll on many individuals. However, this poem does not only refer to mental violence; it also has an underlying message of lynching. In Jason Miller's article, Langston Hughes and American Lynching Culture, he states, "It is uncanny how much Hughes's imagery resembles the lynched body... Hughes tells us that these dreams are not a grape that dries up but an already dried raisin that becomes even drier." (Miller 108, 109) According to Miller, Hughes's poem is an analogy for a lynched body. Lines such as "Does it dry up like a rain in the sun?" Clifford 921) and "Does it stink like rotten meat?" Clifford 921) refers to this. Through this intense imagery, Hughes forces readers to confront the harsh reality African Americans face in …show more content…
The character of Arnold Friend uses manipulation and intimidation to control the protagonist, Connie. From the moment he arrives at her house, Arnold gives off a sense of danger that is impossible for Connie to ignore. As Arnold's true intentions become clear, Connie confronts the situation, but she is left helpless and defenseless. Oates states, "She cried out, she cried for her mother, she felt her breath start jerking back and forth in her lungs as if it were something Arnold Friend was stabbing her with again and again with no tenderness. A noisy, sorrowful wailing rose all about her, and she was locked inside it the way she was locked inside this house." (Oates 2213) This moment implies an act of violence made by Arnold, as he stabs Connie repeatedly. Connie is left defenseless after this moment, making readers question her fate. At the end of the short story, Oates states, "She put her hand against the screen. She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were back safe somewhere in the other doorway, watching this body and his head of long hair moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited." Oates 2214 This ending leaves readers with many unanswered questions. What happened to Connie? Did she live in the city? Where did they go from? Joyce Carol Oates’ intense writing and her themes of violence force readers to see the harsh