In an essay titled “The Black Artist and the Racial Mountain,” African-American poet Langston Hughes discusses the importance of creating a black voice in a predominantly white America. Hughes strove to do this in his own work, using the rhythmic styles of jazz and bebop in his poetry to speak to the African American experience. His essay is a critique of black artists who do not follow this trend and instead choose to focus on "universal" subjects "universal" in this context meaning "white". Although he does not mention the word ideology, his argument is largely based on this concept, since he dissects the artistic consequences of the "mold of American standardization" ("The Negro Artist" 55), a mold created by ideological beliefs about race. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay Additionally, an Althusserian reading of this essay reveals how the African American population is systematically "othered" not only by the white population , but also by members of the African-American community. Hughes' poetry, particularly his Montage of a Dream Deferred series, illustrates his desire to break out of ideological beliefs constructed to silence his community. Hughes's essay begins with his disappointment at a fellow artist who told him, "I want to be a poet." not a Negro poet” (“The Negro Artist” 55). Hughes interprets this statement to mean that the writer subconsciously wishes to "be white", following a logical path that says that wanting to write like any other poet of the time is synonymous with wanting to "write like a white poet" (Hughes 55). . In his essay, it is clear that Hughes is keenly aware that to succeed commercially in the early 20th century, one must appeal to the white community. He also understands that to achieve this, one must “be as less Negro and as American as possible” (“The Negro Artist” 55). By writing the word "American" rather than "white," Hughes is commenting on the bitter reality that to be white is to be "normal" in one's society, an ideological belief that stems from the fact that the white population controls education. . , government and culture in America. Althusser defines ideology as “the imaginary relationship of individuals with their real conditions of existence” (Althusser 693). In the context of Hughes's argument, the actual conditions of existence are that the African American population is systematically oppressed and underrepresented, while the imagined relationship is the belief that this is because "whiteness" is considered “a symbol of all virtues”. » (“The Negro Artist” 55). This belief is constantly reaffirmed because of the individual's tendency to "[behave] in this or that way, [adopt] this or that practical attitude, and...[participate] in certain regular practices...on which the ideas he defends. has, in all consciousness, freely chosen as subject” (Althusser, 696). This means that people choose, sometimes unconsciously, to adopt behaviors that lock them into an ideology. For example, it is clear that the family of the anonymous poet described in Hughes' essay chooses to exist within a racist ideology: The father…is the chief steward of a large white club. The mother sometimes engages in sewing or supervises the celebrations of the city's rich families. The children go to a mixed school. At home, they read white papers and magazines. And the mother often says: "Don't act like n-" when the children are bad. A frequent phrase from the father is: “Look how well a white man does things.” " (" TeaNegro Artist” 55) By living according to the guidelines set by white Americans, the family suppresses their African-American roots and, in Hughes's opinion, stifles their son's potential as an artist. It is for this reason that Hughes criticizes those who give in to "the urge within the race toward whiteness" ("The Negro Artist" 55) since he believes that artists are responsible for creating a unique cultural voice. African-American, independent of the pre-existing dominant white American culture. By controlling education, white Americans are able to perpetuate their own narrative and continually reify beliefs that trivialize black culture and black art. This is why Hughes believes that "the people at the bottom of the scale", or "the so-called common element" are more likely to produce a "truly great black artist" ("The Negro Artist" 56). than members of the middle and upper classes. African Americans; he believes that an African American who has been educated according to white American standards is incapable of "interpreting the beauty of his own people" because "he has never been taught to see that beauty." Rather, he is taught not to see it, or if he sees it, to be ashamed of it when it does not conform to Caucasian models” (“The Negro Artist” 56). On the contrary, according to Hughes, "ordinary people are not afraid of the spiritual, as their more intellectual brethren have long been, and jazz is their child" and therefore, "they accept without doubt what beauty is theirs” (“The Negro Artist” 56). Hughes comments on the problematic nature of American education in his poem "Theme for English B". The speaker of the poem attempts to write "a page" ("Theme" 3) that is "true" ("Theme" 5) as an assignment for a supposedly white instructor, and in doing so, addresses issues of race in He briefly references the issue of underrepresentation in the phrase "I'm the only colored student in my class" ("Theme" 10), which was not uncommon in his time, as the minority of African Americans could get a degree. education, let alone a university degree. In this sense, the speaker of the poem is extremely privileged, even though he is alone in academia. Hughes ironically makes the speaker accessible to all readers by listing universal interests and writing, “I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. / I like to work, read, learn and understand life" ("Theme" 21-22), followed by the statement "I suppose being colored doesn't stop me from liking / the same things as the others like it. races” (“Theme” 25-26). Furthermore, Hughes recognizes the extent to which white ideology permeates education in the "instructor" lines. / Are you white? Yet I am part of me, as I am part of you. / It’s American” (“Theme” 30-33). Although at first glance it appears that Hughes is discussing the idea of ​​the American "melting pot," an Althusserian reading of the poem may also suggest that the white professor and his ideals are taking root in the black student. . The theme of the Montage of a Dream Deferred series, as well as the essay "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain" is that of African American culture and its relationship to white America. For example, in the poem “Dream Boogie,” Hughes uses the rhythm of the typically African-American bebop style of music while discussing the issue of voicelessness. The optimistic tone of the poem references the minstrel culture perpetuated by the white community, as African Americans were encouraged to be larger-than-life entertainers with exaggerated movements and facial expressions in order to entertain white audiences . In order to discuss the problematic nature of this arrangement, Hughes ironically associatesthe joyful rhythm of bebop music to phrases such as “Hello dad! / Haven't you heard / The roar of the boogie-woogie / Of a dream deferred? (“Dream Boogie” 1-4). He also uses hyphens to signify interruptions in speech, as African Americans were discouraged from expressing complaints about their status within the greater American culture. For example, an interruption in the narrative of black culture can be seen in the lines: “Listen to it carefully: / Didn't you hear / something underneath / like? / What did I say? (“Dream Boogie” 5-9). The italicized lines show a resistance toward expressing concern and suppressing one's thoughts, which is representative of Black America as a whole. These lines are immediately followed by the stanza “Of course, / I’m happy!” / Take it away! (“Dream Boogie” 15-17), which signifies the continuation of a performance regardless of whether it facilitates the absence of voice. In this piece, the performance represents the continuation of a complacent existence within white ideology. Additionally, "Dream Boogie" is paired with several others in the series, symbolizing the seemingly endless and inescapable "performance" that the African American community must participate in to be accepted. In “Boogie: 1 AM,” Hughes repeats the introduction to “Dream Boogie” almost exactly, with only a few adjustments, as he writes, “Good evening, Dad! / I know you heard / The roar of boogie-woogie / Of a dream deferred” (“Boogie: 1 AM” 1-4). Appearing later in the series, this poem is used to express the idea that at this point, the complaints of the African American community have finally been heard. However, no steps are yet taken to rectify them, as the lower half of the poem is another perpetuation of the performance: "Trilling the treble / And twisting the bass / Into midnight ruffles / Of cat-gut lace" ("Boogie : 1 AM » 5-8). There are no consequences for ignoring "the dream deferred" until the poem "Nightmare Boogie", in which the speaker has a glimpse of a black culture in "a dream" ("Nightmare Boogie" 1) where he says he sees “a million faces / black like me!” » (“Nightmare Boogie 3-4). However, the consequences of ignoring the deferred dream appear in the next few lines, as the dream transforms into "A Nightmare Dream" ("Nightmare Boogie" 5) in which "Faster than light / All these faces / Become as white as death. (“Nightmare Boogie” 6-8). By attempting to live as a black person within a white-dominated culture, the speaker is denied the experience of existing within a community of like-minded and supportive individuals. This poem is a continuation of a statement Hughes makes in his essay: In my opinion, it is the duty of the young black artist, if he accepts the least duty towards strangers, to change by the force of his art this old whisper "I want to be White", hidden in the aspirations of his people, to "Why would I want to be white, I am Negro and beautiful!" ("The Negro Artist" 59) Both in his essay and in his poetry, Hughes attempts to call to action the black artists of his time and convince them to participate in the creation of a liberated African-American identity of white ideology. Perhaps the poem that most accurately describes the tendency to stay within the confines of an oppressive ideology is Hughes's "Motto." The speaker represents the majority of African Americans and depicts the harsh realities of life as a black person in white America. The poem reads like a life lesson, as the speaker explains: "I play it cool / And I dig all the jive / That's the reason / I stay alive" ("Motto" 1-4). Keep in mind: this is just one,, 1951.