Analysis of Langston Hughes' On the Road
...). For almost two hundred years white people have suppressed the black population. Hughes' use of snow and night give us perfect example. Sargeant was tired of fighting, tired of surviving, tired of hoping, and most of all tired of the white people who've suppressed and tormented his life. On the other hand, Hughes reminds us that if combined, the beauty of both night and snow create a perfect harmony. "...falling white and flaky against the night" (Hughes 1). While living in Colorado, there was nothing more beautiful than taking a late night walk and seeing the bright, vibrant snow fall fresh on my face. The contrast of light and dark created complete symmetry. How can something so diametrically opposed be so perfect and beautiful? Perhaps God intended that way! Another point that is conveyed in Hughes' essay is the use of anger and survival in his main character Sargeant. These two things combined can be a powerful force when it comes to taking action against the suppression of society. When we limit our expression of ourselves, anger is often the result. From anger, our survivalist mode kicks in, and we are more detached from God then at any other time. As seen in the essay, it's clear that Sargeant is struggling for survival. It's also clear that due to the pain he feels whites have inflicted upon him, he will now take any measures necessary to insure his own best interest. Following a series of rejections for a place to stay, Sargeant finds himself at the front door of the church with a desperate hope that he may enter and keep warm overnight; however, he finds himself being rejected again, this time at the feet of a white church. " 'A big black unemployed Negro holding onto your church' thought the people. 'The idea!' The cops began to beat Sargeant over the head, and nobody protested. But he held on" (Hughes 2). Sargeant was determined. He was famished and exhausted and certainly felt that at least the church should offer him a comforting, relaxing place to stay. Hughes could also be saying that Sargeant wasn't only trying to survive, but he was holding onto his faith! This leads me to my next illustration. Next, Hughes does two things. First, he uses Jesus Christ as a metaphor for how we experience life. For Christians, Jesus was a savior: He carried the burden of our sins and troubles to show us God's love for his children. In the essay, Sargeant is paralleled to Christ in a way that he too must carry a heavy burden. After the church fell down, the reader is given the image of Sargeant walking down the street with the stone pillar on his shoulder, almost in the same way we see Christ as he carried the cross. "Sargeant got out from under the church and went walking up on the street with the stone pillar on his shoulder... And threw the pillar six blocks up the street and went on" (Hughes 2). When the church came crashing down, with it came its values, beliefs, and ideals: Such as Jesus being freed from the cross. In Hughes' own ideal, Sargeant was freed from his burden of being suppressed by whites, by standing up for his own needs. Secondly, traditional church values contradict each other when it comes to the acceptance of each human being. In my opinion, Christ was a man of peace and love, who sought to invite anyone, regardless of race, age, or sex, into the kingdom of heaven. Hughes challenges Christianity by showing how judgmental and self-righteous the church has...