Tales of Simple Essay examples - 1080 Words

Tales of Simple and the Symbolic Undertone Langston Hughes is considered to be one of the most well known poets/writers in the modern era. One of his most notable works was a series of fictional short stories called Tales of Simple. In these tales, Hughes uses symbolism to express his feelings and views on African American history through the character Jesse B. Semple. In literary terms, the word â€Å"symbolism† is defined as being a person, object or event that suggests more than its literal meaning. In Langston Hughes’ â€Å"Tales of Simple†, the author uses the main character’s name, feet and view on a type of Jazz music to symbolize the life of an African American and the effect of slavery, discrimination and racism on blacks. One of the†¦show more content†¦The point Hughes makes was that a black man during that time was focused on work and providing for himself and his family. And work was done while standing. Hughes shows that the true tale of an African American was at the physic al foundation of a person: the feet. The symbolic nature of Simples’ feet goes beyond the mindset of African Americans at that time. Hughes uses Simple’s feet to symbolize the poverty experienced by blacks. These feet have walked ten thousand miles working for white folks and another ten thousand keeping up with the colored. These feet have stood at altars, crap tables, free lunches, bars, graves, kitchen doors, betting windows, hospital clinics, WPA desks, social security railings, and in all kinds of lines from soup lines to the draft. (100) As the title of the tale states, Simple’s feet do have their own life. Not only do Simple’s feet showcase the â€Å"thousands of miles working for white folks,† but they also tell the tales of where he has been when not working. All of the aforementioned places are either associated with poverty or things viewed as aid by society. Hughes uses this to symbolize the negative connotation attached to African Americans because of the poverty most encountered at the time. Langston Hughes symbolizes the life of hard labor lived by a black man through the continued reference to Simple’s feet: â€Å"The corns I’ve cut away would dull a German razor. The bunions I forgot would make you ache from nowShow MoreRelatedA Simple Plan vs The Pardoners Tale1254 Words   |  6 PagesComparative Study The Pardoners Tale vs A Simple Plan Although the settings are very different, one taking place in 14th century Scotland and the other in modern day America, the ideas of both texts are similar, Radix Natorum est Cupi datas, meaning greed is the root of all evil. The transformation of The Pardoners Tale into A Simple Plan has allowed Raimi to demonstrate that despite the new values emerging in the new context, the human condition is essentially unchanged as it always remainsRead MoreComparative: Greed and Corruption in The Pardoners Tale and A Simple Plan1055 Words   |  5 PagesBoth Geoffrey Chaucer in â€Å"The Pardoners Tale† and Sam Raimi in the film â€Å"A Simple Plan† composed moral tales exploring the concept of greed and corruption. Both composers suggest that a person’s good morals can be easily corrupted by the power of greed; both composers explore the fatal consequences of greed and corruption which affirms the importance of a morally sound society. However, Chaucer, composing in a medieval context communicates that greed and corruption may be fostered by a lack of materialRead MoreEssay Dracula: A Simple Tale of Good vs. Evil1491 Words   |  6 PagesBatman beats the Joker. Spiderman banishes the Green Goblin. 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His thoughts are very similar to how the black society feels towards whites in general. Whether you agree or disagree, many people can relate to Simple’s reasoning in America today. It’s obvious that Simple feels some type of way towards whites, but he remains calm