Primarily, Sargeant struggles to find shelter at Reverend Dorset's house. Seeing the "human piece of night" Reverend Dorset turns Sargeant away. Reverend Dorset represents how the door is set against Sargeant and other African Americans. Sergeant's following hardship occurs at a church. The completely Caucasian church will not accept Sargeant because he is "A big black unemployed Negro. . ." (Hughes par. 17). While the police attempt to remove Sargeant from the church, he holds on tightly to a stone pillar. Sargeant will not let go of the stone pillar because he does not want to let go of the idea that all men are created equal. When the pillar breaks, Sargeant places it on his shoulder. At this point Hughes is alluding to Jesus. Jesus carried the weight of his people's sins on his shoulder and Sargeant carries the weight of racism and prejudice on his shoulder. In the end of his hardships, Sargeant ends up in jail. He tells the white police offer, "I'm gonna break down this door" (Hughes par. 60). Figuratively speaking, Sargeant is actually saying he is going to break down the barriers of
Primarily, Sargeant struggles to find shelter at Reverend Dorset's house. Seeing the "human piece of night" Reverend Dorset turns Sargeant away. Reverend Dorset represents how the door is set against Sargeant and other African Americans. Sergeant's following hardship occurs at a church. The completely Caucasian church will not accept Sargeant because he is "A big black unemployed Negro. . ." (Hughes par. 17). While the police attempt to remove Sargeant from the church, he holds on tightly to a stone pillar. Sargeant will not let go of the stone pillar because he does not want to let go of the idea that all men are created equal. When the pillar breaks, Sargeant places it on his shoulder. At this point Hughes is alluding to Jesus. Jesus carried the weight of his people's sins on his shoulder and Sargeant carries the weight of racism and prejudice on his shoulder. In the end of his hardships, Sargeant ends up in jail. He tells the white police offer, "I'm gonna break down this door" (Hughes par. 60). Figuratively speaking, Sargeant is actually saying he is going to break down the barriers of