Hughes tries to explain the obstacle faced by a black writer (artist) as a mountain in his article “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” which stands sturdy in the way of most black persons literary work expression; that mountain is mainly based on color. Since arrival of black people to the new world from West Africa as slaves, blackness is associated to all bad things on earth. The subjugation of blacks at the hands of white masters generated fear, anxiety, depression, and self-hate. Negatively connoted phrases such as black mail, black market, black smith, black sheep, and so on are added in to English language for daily usage to humiliate black folks. Verbal and physical abuse of adult black males at the hands of their owners robbed their manhood.
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As a result, the black intelligentsia assimilates and copies much which is not his. He cannot climb the racially triggered mountain and be himself. Hughes comprehends that being not self-confident with their color and dreaming to become someone else especially those who are gifted in art and poetry. Instead of being themselves and develop their work, they wasted their time and energy in search of acceptance from others outside their community. Besides to color, economic inequality is another mountain to climb. The writer explains about the black poet who wants to be like white poet not like himself, and how his hard working parents pushes him to the edge to act out like a white. The father of the black American says “‘Look how well a white man does things’” (Hughes 1). Even though, the father works hard, he notices the living standard difference between blacks and whites during that time. Consequently, in order to live a happy life, this little fellow is brainwashed by his own parents, which is
As a result, the black intelligentsia assimilates and copies much which is not his. He cannot climb the racially triggered mountain and be himself. Hughes comprehends that being not self-confident with their color and dreaming to become someone else especially those who are gifted in art and poetry. Instead of being themselves and develop their work, they wasted their time and energy in search of acceptance from others outside their community. Besides to color, economic inequality is another mountain to climb. The writer explains about the black poet who wants to be like white poet not like himself, and how his hard working parents pushes him to the edge to act out like a white. The father of the black American says “‘Look how well a white man does things’” (Hughes 1). Even though, the father works hard, he notices the living standard difference between blacks and whites during that time. Consequently, in order to live a happy life, this little fellow is brainwashed by his own parents, which is