Langston Hughes is an African American novelist and a social activist who demonstrates the conflict black Americans often encounter through his eloquent writing. Hughes has written numerous stories that acknowledges the discrimination in America, and his short story “Home” is a prime example of his moving work. “Home” follows an ill black violinist, Roy Williams, who returns back home to the United States after a brief stay in Europe. Unfortunately, he returned to his small southern hometown called Hopkinsville in Missouri during the early twentieth century. The time when the Jim Crow laws were still intact. The story follows an ill Roy wanting to see his family for the first time in years, but his return was not filled with delight for several
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He already was tired of seeing people in Europe starving, but his return back to the U.S made his condition even worse. The abuse that minorities faced created a cruel America that forced Roy to suffer from racial battle fatigue, “Ashy pale his face was, that had once been brown. His cheeks were sunken. Trembling, he put on his suits and spats and his yellow gloves and soft felt hat. He got into an overcoat. He took a cane that he carried lately from weakness rather from style” (45). The racial claims and vile looks have left a toll on Roy Williams. People suffering has always made him feel weary as he “... had a feeling that he was going to die…” (33). He became awfully weak for a young man, and the oppression he faced battered him down. His illness was actually a metaphor for his abuse from the real world. However, he did suffer from racial battle fatigue. The injustice in America exhausted Roy until he could barely walk, but he did have some time away from the fatigue.
Racism and discrimination has always plagued the United States, and many people have tried to escape from it. Langston Hughes’ short story “Home” presented this issue through Roy Williams’ struggles. Roy also needed an escape from the inequality in America, and he eventually found a way out. His musical talent gave him the opportunity to escape and he took …show more content…
For example, Roy has received more education than the other black people in his community after he left for Europe. “How like a dream that he had ever been to Europe at all, he thought. Ma never had any money. Her kids had barely managed to get through grade school. There was no higher school for Negroes in Hopkinsville” (46). Roy decided to leave America just to receive a higher education, and it actually benefited him. He seemed to be an intelligent man after leaving the U.S, while other black Americans basically spoke in broken English and slang. The school system seems to be restricted to black Americans, and Langston Hughes exposes it in “Home” through Roy’s opportunities to earn a better education by going to Europe. Roy’s character is also drastically different from the rest of his community. “First time most of them ever saw a man in evening clothes. First time most of them ever heard the Meditation from Thaïs. First time they ever had one of their own race come home from abroad playing a violin” (42). It was uncommon to see a successful black man during this time, so Roy Williams stood out. He was a black American who was well dressed and a talented violinist, but he only received his status after staying in Europe for nearly a decade. Almost every other black person around him was out of work and in
He already was tired of seeing people in Europe starving, but his return back to the U.S made his condition even worse. The abuse that minorities faced created a cruel America that forced Roy to suffer from racial battle fatigue, “Ashy pale his face was, that had once been brown. His cheeks were sunken. Trembling, he put on his suits and spats and his yellow gloves and soft felt hat. He got into an overcoat. He took a cane that he carried lately from weakness rather from style” (45). The racial claims and vile looks have left a toll on Roy Williams. People suffering has always made him feel weary as he “... had a feeling that he was going to die…” (33). He became awfully weak for a young man, and the oppression he faced battered him down. His illness was actually a metaphor for his abuse from the real world. However, he did suffer from racial battle fatigue. The injustice in America exhausted Roy until he could barely walk, but he did have some time away from the fatigue.
Racism and discrimination has always plagued the United States, and many people have tried to escape from it. Langston Hughes’ short story “Home” presented this issue through Roy Williams’ struggles. Roy also needed an escape from the inequality in America, and he eventually found a way out. His musical talent gave him the opportunity to escape and he took …show more content…
For example, Roy has received more education than the other black people in his community after he left for Europe. “How like a dream that he had ever been to Europe at all, he thought. Ma never had any money. Her kids had barely managed to get through grade school. There was no higher school for Negroes in Hopkinsville” (46). Roy decided to leave America just to receive a higher education, and it actually benefited him. He seemed to be an intelligent man after leaving the U.S, while other black Americans basically spoke in broken English and slang. The school system seems to be restricted to black Americans, and Langston Hughes exposes it in “Home” through Roy’s opportunities to earn a better education by going to Europe. Roy’s character is also drastically different from the rest of his community. “First time most of them ever saw a man in evening clothes. First time most of them ever heard the Meditation from Thaïs. First time they ever had one of their own race come home from abroad playing a violin” (42). It was uncommon to see a successful black man during this time, so Roy Williams stood out. He was a black American who was well dressed and a talented violinist, but he only received his status after staying in Europe for nearly a decade. Almost every other black person around him was out of work and in