Harlem Renaissance: Lasting Stories from Writers of Unity & Pride

The Harlem Renaissance lasted for two decades; it began in 1917 and came to end in 1937. The publication of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Hurston marked its end. Various authors who emerged during this period discussed themes like assimilation, alienation, unity as well as pride. Most works that were done during this time are still being read in the classrooms up to date. Harlem Renaissance Writers got messages from their lives and created lasting stories. Among the writers who did, good work that is remembered to date is Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Langston Hughes as a writer had its roles and importance within the Harlem Renaissance. To begin with, he broke boundaries within the movement using his work of art (Cappiello, 2018). He obtained international experiences from the movement and kindred spirit from his colleagues. The most remarkable things of all are that he took a stand for the possibilities of black art and through this he was able to influence a manner in which the Harlem Renaissance movement was to be remembered. He was a light for many black artists who flourished during the two decades of the movement. His works also made the organization to be known almost everywhere in the world.

Zora Neale Hurston also, on the other hand, had her roles as well as important within the movement (Coleman, 2018). The first role that she had was that of forming the Harlem Renaissance movement, which was a pivotal time, especially for black art. She also developed new ways in which the black artists were going to express their pride in their own black culture. She was also able to inspire so many other artists when she was alive and after her death through her stands as well as her works of art. Among the writer who she inspired include Alice Walker who wrote The Color Purple, Toni Morrison who wrote Beloved and others.

One of the most popular works done by Hughes is Montage of a Dream Deferred. The following are the main ideas that he addresses in this work: Discontent together with inequality is the main theme in this work. The deferred dream that he refers to in this work is the American dream as it applies to Black Americans. Hughes points out the fact that black Americans are not free to pursue their dreams as white Americans. He points out that African Americans are held back by poverty and racism that kills their efforts.

Zora Neale Hurston together with Hughes did a three-act play that was called Mule Bone. The main message in the play was about the lives of Negros who lived in rural Florida in the year 1930s. The play also addressed issues of love, loyalty as well as romance in an attempt to introduce the life of the Negros to the entire audience. The play also points out the position of the women as well as the children in the society during that time. It points out the racism and intimidation that the Negros were going through in the hands of the whites.

Langston Hughes just like other writers had his writing style, images as well as themes that he used in his work. In poetry, for instance, he used rhythm, music as well as images (Brown, 2019). This is what represented on his black American literary tradition. For the organization and themes of his poems, he applied jazz as well as blue styles. In his poetry, he tried to bring out the 'low-life'. He used themes of loneliness, humor as well as despair.

Hurston too had her writing styles, images and the themes she used in her works. In her short story 'Sweat' she exemplifies the height of a corrupt marriage. She uses irony as well as foreshadowing to bring out the broken relationship that is witnessed between the abusive husband and wife who seems to be intelligent. In most of her writings and works of art, she tries to bring out the theme of fairness and equity. She also brings out the racism and intimidation that is seen between the whites and the blacks. Up to her death, she was fighting for the poor and the less fortunate in the society through her works of art.

Hughes and Hurston just like they did influence and inspire various individuals including writers, their work has also influenced me in so many ways. To begin with, from Zora writings in the Sweat I have learned the importance of having peace and harmony in a family and the dangers of domestic violence. Hughes act of having a firm stand to ensure that, the black artists also had a chance is an encouraging act that has also encouraged me to also practice fairness and equity and to fight for the same in the society. These writers showed that art could really help change the minds of people and make them positive. Harlem Renaissance Writers, in general, did a remarkable work that will be forever remembered by poets, writers and people who like the works of art.

References

Brown, K. (2019). They, Too, Sang America: Visual Artists' Harlem Renaissance. GEORGIA REVIEW, 73(1), 185-193. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kevin_Brown4/publication/331556756_They_Too_Sang_American_Visual_Artists_of_the_Harlem_Renaissance/links/5c7ff904299bf1268d403fb5/They-Too-Sang-American-Visual-Artists-of-the-Harlem-Renaissance.pdf

Cappiello, M. A. (2018). One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance. Language Arts, 95(6), 401. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P4-2061495919/one-last-word-wisdom-from-the-harlem-renaissance

Coleman, L. (2018). Carl Van Vechten and the Harlem Renaissance: A Critical Assessment. Routledge. Retrieved from https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2010-0-40005-6&isbn=9781315805146&format=googlePreviewPdf