AleCeniceros

CoachSchnell
PreAPEnglish(2nd)
April10,2015

TextsRead:
LettertoThomasJefferson
BenjaminBanneker(nonfiction)
SeeingDouble
LangstonHughes(nonfiction)
TheFightOverLife
Guadaloupe(shortstory)
TheContestofRiddles
Abron(nonfiction)
UpFromSlavery
BookerT.Washington(nonfiction)
WhyMonkeysLiveinTrees
Ewe(nonfiction)
Dreams
LangstonHughes(poetry)
WhyTheDogAlwaysChasesOtherAnimals
Ituri(shortstory)
Itoo
LangstonHughes(poetry)

SelectedPiecesSummaries:
UpFromSlavery
ThisstoryisaboutafamilythatgotfreedfromslaveryaftertheCivilWar.Hetalksabout
differentthingtodotofeelfree.Hethinkstheyneedtogosomewheredifferentbackwithhis
father.Healsostatesthattheyneedtochangetheirnames,sincetheydon'tbelongtoanyone
anymore.Hestatesthechallengeshefaceswhilegoingthereandlivingthere.Theyareverypoor
andliveinahorriblestate.ThisconnectstotheAfricanAmericanculturebecauseitstatesallthe

hardtimestheywenttobeforeandafterslavery.Theyweremaybefreebuttheirlifewasstill
hardandnotanywherenearperfect.Slaveryisabigpartofthisculture.

WhytheDogAlwaysChasesOtherAnimals
Thisshortstoryisaboutadogsleepinginthemiddleofaforest.Whenthemonkeyseeshimhe
asksalltheotheranimalswhatkindofcreatureheis.Themonkey,thewildpig,theelephant,the
buffaloandthechimpanzeealldon'tknowwhatitis.Theturtlethencomesalongandsaysitisa
dogandthedogawakens.Afterthishewasangeredtobeinterruptedandchasedallofthe
animalsandtheturtlesaidtoalwayschasethemwhentheycome.ThisrelatedtotheAfrican
AmericanculturebecausethisisalltheanimalsthatliveinAfrica.Italsorelatestoitbythem
beingdifferentandgettingintroducedtothingstheyhaveneverseenlikethedog.Theyareall
theAfricananimalsandtheAmericansarethedogs.Theywerealways"chased"bythem.

Itoo
ThispoemisfromaperspectiveofanAfricanAmerican.Heexclaimsthathetoois"thedarker
brother"referringtohisskincolor.Heexplainshowtheyaretreatedandhowtheyeatinthe
kitchenwhenthevisitorscome.Thenthespeakerenvisionsthefuturewhenheisnolongersent
tothekitchenandwherenooneseeshimunequal.Heclosesthepoembyexpressingthatheis
Americantoo.

Essay:
ItooandDreams
byLangstonHughes


WhenpeoplethinkofAmerica,theythinkofliberty,freedom,anddiversity.Americais
consideredtobethelandofthefree,butitwasn'talwaysthatway.Noteven100yearsagowas
racismandslaverystillprevalent,oppressingtheBlacks,buttheblacksdidnotsoeasilygiveup.
InLangstonHughespoem,"I,too,singAmerica"and"Dreams",Hugheswrites"Iamthedarker
brother.Theysendmetoeatinthekitchenwhencompanycomes,butIlaugh,andeatwell,and
growstrong."(Hughes,10)ThisshowstheresilienceoftheAfricanAmericanculture,never
givingupandstayinghopeful.ThispoemshowsjusthowstrongtheAfricanAmericanculture
is.

Inthe1960s,MartinLutherKingplayedalargeroleinliberatingtheblacksandgiving
themtheirrights.Duringthistime,protestingagainsttheoppressionresultedinterrible
punishment,fromdogs,tohighpoweredwaterenoughtotakeoffskin.MartinLutherhadthe
hopeanddeterminationtoleadalargemarchthroughWashingtontoraiseawarenessandshow
justhowdeterminedAfricanAmericansweretohavetheirfreedom.Inthepoems,Langston
describeshoweventhoughtheAfricanAmericanwassenttoeatinthekitchen,heateanyway,
andcontinuedtogrowinstrengthsoonedayhewouldnolongerneedtoeatinthekitchen.This
poemrepresentsthestrugglebetweentheoppressionoftheAfricanAmericansandtheirstrength
totakeitandfightback.EventhoughtheoppressionismeanttomaketheBlacksfeelexcluded
fromAmerica,theirgreatloveandpatriotismhelpsthempushtoovercometheoppressionand
fightback.

Aswellashavingastrongmoraleandastrongwilltofightback,youalsohavetohavea
stronghope.Inthepoem"Dreams"byLangstonHughes,Hughesexplainshoweventhoughlife
canbedifficultandunfair,dreamscankeepyougoingifyoubelieveinthemanddon'tletthem
die.duringthe60s,manyAfricanAmericansheldontotheirdreamsofequalityandfreedom.
ThesedreamsthattheykeptaliveeventuallybecamearealitywhenMartinLutherKingleadthe
waytofreedom.

Inconclusion,thepoem"I,too,singAmerica"andthepoem"Dreams"putoutavery
strongmessagehoweventhoughAfricanAmericanswereoppressed,theynevergaveupand
theyneverstoppedtryingtoachievewhattheysodesperatelywanted,freedom.Theirpatriotism
isunmatchedbyanyotherrace,andtheyprovedthatbycontinuingtofightfortheirrightswhich
theyfinallywon.Sometimes,somethingfightingagainstyouhelpsyoucomebackevenstronger
andachieveyourgoal.

AuthorBio:
JamesMercerLangstonHugheswasanAfricanAmericanborninJoplin,MissouritheFebruary
1,1902.Whenhewasachild,hisparentsdivorcedandhisdadmovedtoMexico.Helivedwith
hisgrandmotheruntilhewas13whenhemovedtoCleveland,Ohio.Itwasatthisagewhenhe
begantowritepoetry.Hisfirstbookofpoetry
TheWearyBlues
waspublishedbyAlfredA.
Knopfin1926.HewasbestknownforhisinsightfulportrayalsofblacklifeonAmericafromthe
19201960's.Hislifeandworkwereveryimportantinshapingthewayhewrote.Helived
duringthetimeofsegregationsoheknewwhatitwaslike(frompersonalexperiences)tobe

treatedsopoorly.UnlikeotherblackpoetsHughesrefusedtodifferentiatebetweenhispersonal
experiencesandthecommonexperiencesofAfricanAmericansinAmerica.Hewantedto
expressthroughhiswritingtheculturefromallaspectsincludingtheirsufferingandtheirlove
forlaughtermusicandlifeitself.Hugheswrotewithhumorandwithadifferentpointofview
fromothers.HediedfromcancerMay2,1967.