Analysis Of Life Is Fine By Langston Hughes

There are moments in life that can be overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like a bad dream that we cannot escape. It is like no matter what we do, we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. When we encounter these types of situations, the best thing to do is take a deep breathe, take a step back, and look at the bigger picture. That is exactly what the narrator in Langston Hughes’ “Life is Fine” had to do. In the beginning, the narrator experienced a hard time and felt like he could not move forward, therefore setting a very dark and gloomy mood. To him, suicide seemed to be his only way out. Once the narrator saw the bigger picture, he realized he was born for living which created a more joyful mood. Suicide is a very heartbreaking, depressing, …show more content…
The narrator explains that he went to the river to think but had no luck because he could not concentrate, so he plunged into the water and began to sink. The water was so cold, that when he jumped in, it was like it electrocuted his mind. His body began to ache from the sharp, piercing water. It felt like a thousand needles being stuck in every part of his body at once. He began to scream and cry out for help, but no one could hear him. He eventually pulled himself back to the shore line and thought to himself, “If that water hadn’t a-been so cold, I might’ve sunk and died.” This stanza gives the reader the idea that something has happened to the narrator for him to take this type of action. Any type of death described in poems or stories can have negative effect on the readers reaction, but death by suicide can make it even more sad. The thought of someone attempting to end their own life because of a difficult circumstance they have encountered, is absolutely …show more content…
Being the narrator was not successful in his first attempt, he decided to try again. This time he went to one of the tallest buildings in the city. He got in the elevator and rode it nervously to the top. When he finally reached the top, standing sixteen stories above the ground, he began to think of his “baby.” The thought gave him the urge to plunge to the ground even more. He once again began hollering and crying, but again, not a soul could hear him. He stood there looking down at the bottom, his palms sweating, heart beating faster than ever, legs trembling at the thought of hitting the ground. He could not do it. He stepped back away from the side of the building, he thought to himself, “If it hadn’t a-been so high, I might’ve jumped and died.” All because of a girl. He was going to take his life because his “baby” broke his heart. How selfish can a person possibly be? Just because this one person did not love him, does not mean that his family and friends did not love him. Before making a decision, especially one this critical, one must think about how that decision could affect the people around