Lit Analysis: These are awesome student examples!

Equality is a key phrase when it comes to talking about human life. In these two pieces, equality is something that is shown in both of them. The first piece, Let America be America, is a poem about America being the dream land of equality, which everyone is striving for, when in fact it is not equal for everyone. This poem takes place in a time where racism was still a pretty large part of society. “I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars,” is a quote from the poem. This quote directly talks about slavery, which is clearly not being equal. “From those who live like leeches on people’s lives,” is another quote from this poem. This simile is used to show that people were relying, almost living off of other people to make it through their lives. I don’t think that equality should have one person holding someone else’s life in their hands. The second piece is “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” by Mildred Taylor. This piece has a different view on equality than the other piece. First of all, the dialect from this piece hints slightly at a medium-lower class person. For example, “You see that fig tree over yonder?” The use of the word yonder is one of the reasons that I believe that. The major thing that this story contains is a different outlook on equality. The man in this story seems to believe that even though someone may not be as fortunate as others, they can and will keep on going, because life is life. This is almost like saying everyone doesn’t have to be equal, just happy with where they are in life. Comparing this to the other piece, they both bring very different ideas to the table.

 All men may be created equal, but they do not live equal lives in America. Both Langston Hughes and Mildred Taylor clearly believe minorities do not receive equal treatment to whites. Hughes seeks "a land where a liberty is crowned with no false patriotic wreath." He believes that total equality should be attained. Although Taylor would like total equality, she explains that, "they're (whites) a lot bigger and they take up more room and give so much shade, they almost overshadow that little ole fig (African Americans)." However, she argues that even though they'll never be as powerful as whites, African Americans should never give up. Both authors stress that it is the minorities who made America strong. Langston Hughes creates a strong visual image of minorities at work building America when he uses phrases such as "sweat and blood," "hand at the foundry," and "plow in the rain." Mildred Taylor also creates a visual image with her metaphor of a small fig tree with deep roots battling oak and walnut trees for sunlight. Hughes's most effective literary device is his repetition of words and phrases about "America never was America to me." Taylor's most effective literary device is her use of a metaphor in a conversation with dialect, which includes words such as "ain't," and "yonder." She also employs parallel structure with the words "blooming," "knowing," and "growing." Freedom will ring throughout America when all people have equal opportunities. 

The equality (or inequality, one might say) of humans is clearly depicted in Let America Be America Again and Roll of Thunder, Hear Me Cry. Both of these sources use repetition to support the cause that even though inequality is prevalent in society, the minority can never give up hope. In Let America Be America Again, there is a clear example of just how powerful repetition can be, “Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain…” Repeating the same sentence beginning makes it as clear as day that the author, Langston Hughes, believes that although America may be in a rut, it can restore its former greatness. America is no longer the go-getter nation that it was, but that memory is a hope looming on the horizon. Even though these works of literature were written in different styles, one a poem, one an excerpt from a novel, they both include strong figurative language to back up their beliefs. It states in Roll of Thunder, Hear Me Cry, “ [The fig tree] keeps blooming, bearing fruit year after year, knowing all the time that it’ll never get as big as them other trees.” Through its resilience, the minority represented as the fig trees will never give up, despite others casting a dark shadow over them. In our society, there is not quite yet an equality of citizens, but those who feel scammed by life will not stop hoping and working towards their goals of prosperity. The two documents and my statements support this claim. No matter what, no matter the southern dialect in Roll of Thunder, Hear Me Cry or the formality of words in Let America Be America Again, it has shown that equality is non-existent but hoping to be achieved. Those at the bottom will never give up until they sit on a golden throne.

Equality is something that we are all promised as America, but we don’t always get it. In “Let America Be America Again”, Langston Hughes uses many different methods to show inequality. One way he does this is by using parenthesis to change perspective. He starts with saying what America is supposed to be but then says how he never felt equal or like he was an American who was promised these rights. He also describes how he represents everyone but the rich white man showing how the rich overpowers and has more respect than the lower class citizens. Hughes writes, “From those who live like leeches on people’s lives, we must take back our land again, America!” What he means by this is that without the lower class, America wouldn’t function but the upper class is just using them. In “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry”, Mildred Taylor shows in the writing how if people aren’t born with money or land, they will have to fight to survive. She uses a metaphor with a fig tree and an oak tree. Papa tells the children how the fig still shares the soil and keeps blooming year after year producing more and more fruit. This is like people in society—even though some might be more important than others, if they don’t accept it, they won’t survive. Both of these passages convey the message of inequality and describe messages of equality.  

The idea of equality is depicted in the two pieces. Both pieces are mainly on how in America the idea of inequality stands there in some eyes. “Let America Be America Again” it talks about how in America the wealthier people are missing out on the inequality. This poem is questioning equality in America. There is repetition in the poem. An example is, “I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching hope I seek…” In many of the stanzas they have dashes, indicating that they have more to say. Also in the stanzas the words are kept short, sweet, and to the point. Figurative Language is found in this poem about taking back America and changing it to its more equal form. An example is, “From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives, We must take back our land again, America!” It is saying we need to take back America and stop living attached to others. The setting relates to the mood of this poem. It was written in 1936, a period when segregation went on and not everybody was treated equally. In “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” it shows the inequality found in America. The why this piece is written relates to the mood. This piece has a certain dialect. An example of the dialect is, “It’s hard on a man to give up, but sometimes it seems there ain’t nothing else he can do.” There is an extended metaphor in this piece explaining how the fig tree keeps doing what it doing even if the other trees take up space. The other trees are a lot bigger and powerful than the fig tree, but it has bigger roots and belongs as much as the others. It explains how they are equal even if they are different. The metaphor is, “ Them other trees all around… that oak and walnut, they’re a lot bigger shade they almost overshadow that little so much shade they almost overshadow that little ole fig. But that fig tree’s got roots that run deep and it belongs in that yard as much as that oak and walnut.” That first sentence of the metaphor is a run on sentence that catches the reader’s eye. “We keep doing what we gotta do, and we don’t give up. We can’t.” That quote is an example of repetition and what we have to do to get our equality. In the end, both of the pieces are about inequality and that we have to fix it here in America.