Theme For English B Langston Hughes Analysis

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In the poem Theme for English B by Lasngston Hughes, the speaker reflects upon his identity in a classroom where he is the only "colored" student. He is assigned to go home and write a page which will come out of him and be true. Although it seems to be a simple assignment, he contemplates on whether his truth is the same as his white instructor's truth. Throughout the poem the speaker tries to assimilate to white people and on how both races aren't that different; except for their physical appearance. Likewise, they are both Americans who cope with being part of each others' diverse background setting aside their physical differences. In Theme for English B, Hughes defines an American as being part of a multicultural society coming together to learn from each other,creating a unique diverse American.…show more content…
As an African American he believes to have a different perspective on life than his white instructor. He says "It's not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age." The speaker assumes his instructor (being the person whose going to read his paper) that having a wide age difference between the speaker's age and his instructor's that their views on truth aren't similar. Truth is influenced by age, which at twenty-two years old, one is still young, figuring out life. The speaker continues with his confusion by saying,"...hear you, hear me---we two---you, me, talk on this page. (I hear New York too.) Me---who?" The speaker is confused about who he is living in Harlem, New York during the 1950s, when racism was still deeply looked down upon. He is living in America, where seeing a "colored" person get an education is rare.If he was considered an American just for living in the U.S would he not be discriminated ? All he knows is that who he is, is not what many consider
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