Segregation in the United States during the 1940s and 1950s was the lawful marginalisation of the black community from the dominantly white American society that existed at the time. It was an effort to still subjugate and discriminate against them after the abolishment of slavery, limiting them to the fringes of society where they could be treated as second class citizens. The result of this was a society controlled by a hierarchy purely based on white supremacy, with the blacks finding themselves in truly destitute conditions. Seeing that their hopes of a new life would not be fulfilled by the slavery ban, they chose to resist society’s desire to limit them to roles of servitude by actively fighting racial discrimination, while also “yearning” for a more hopeful future. This was a prominent theme in Langston Hughes as well as Gordon Parks’s work who were both path breaking artists of the 20th century. In I, too, Hughes uses the voice of a black speaker to narrate the lived experiences of the unfair treatment of the black community in the general American society, as well as to illustrate the resilience that they show in continuing to make strides forward in order to achieve equal rights. On a similar tone, Gordon Parks chooses to photograph a child dressed in shabby clothes “yearning” for a new dress, unattainable to her, just as integration into American society was to the black community.

In I, too, Hughes uses subversive symbolism to emphasise how the black community is shunned to the outskirts of society, ensuring that they remain hidden from the white community. The speaker of the poem asserts himself as an important member of the American society by calling himself the “darker brother”,which others him from the very same society simultaneously. Through the use of this metonym, Hughes serves to illustrate how one’s skin colour can be the sole determinant for how they are treated, highlighting the society’s shallow perception of race. Then, Hughes subverts the traditional image of a kitchen as a place of warmth and comfort by depicting it as a place where the speaker is “sen(t)” when “company comes” over. A sense of helplessness in the speaker’s choice of where to eat is denoted by the verb ”sen(t)” as it implies an authoritative tone whereby the speaker has no choice but to comply. In addition to that, Hughes’ depiction of the speaker as an unwanted and unaccepted member of society shows that the members of the black community were not allowed to interact with the white community even if they lived in the same house. The speaker ,however, is unfazed by this prejudiced treatment as he proclaims that he “laugh(s)…eat(s) well….and grow(s) strong”, taking this exclusion in his stride, reinforcing the message of continuing to move forwards despite obstacles in one’s path. Here, it is possible to draw parallels to Hughes’s poem “Mother and Son” because of the use of symbolism to emphasise upon the hardships that the black community faces, comparing their struggles to “tacks” and “splinters” and illustrates how they continue to persevere on despite that.

In the latter half of the poem, Hughes uses a literal metaphor in conjunction with repetition to signify a shift in power which will allow members of the black community to enjoy a better life “tomorrow”, when these racial barriers cease to exist. The speaker’s claim that he’ll “be at the table” tomorrow is quite a literal metaphor, as it signifies that the black speaker will have a seat at the table with the others or that he will be assimilated into American society with no racial prejudices in the future. When this happens, members of the black community will have equal rights and will be able to freely voice their opinions as opposed to not having a seat at the table or being voiceless. Then, Hughes emphasises the relinquishing of a social hierarchy and the elevation of the status of the black community as the speaker says that “nobody’ll dare” to tell him to “eat in the kitchen”. The inversion of this repeated phrase signals a shift in the tone of the poem, as it becomes more more defiant. There is also an implicit threat of violence present in “dare” to, suggesting that the black community has had enough of the discriminatory treatment that they are subjected to. The use of the arbitrary “tomorrow” however, highlights that there is no certainty as to when these things will happen. The poem ends with the black speaker mentioning that white America would “be ashamed” because of their heinous acts and will finally realise how “beautiful” the black community is, when they are finally accepted as equal.

Gordon Park’s photograph:

• In an untitled photograph taken in Mobile, Alabama, Parks uses body language to communicate a sense of despair and anguish present in the black community as a result of their forced exclusion from society.
• With hands on the window and her head buried within them, it is evident that the young girl longs for a new dress just as her white counterpart has one. Through this, Parks could be referring to the Brown vs Board case, which illustrated how the there were significant disparities between their communities even as they were meant to be equal but separate.
• The bowing of the head could also be a reference to the subservient role that they are meant to play in their life. Thus, showing how this is ingrained in their brains from early childhood, another allusion to the doll test in the landmark Brown vs Board case.

 

• Parks’ use of symbolism encapsulates the segregation that was prevalent at the time, ensuring the continued trivialisation of their community’s social standing, while also illustrating how they were hopeful despite that.
• The mannequins dressed in the shop were all white which depicted the superior lifestyles they led, which afforded them the best of the luxuries that were available. The mannequins facial expression revealed a sense of happiness and contentment which Parks juxtaposed against the young girl’s “yearning”.
• The window, then, becomes the barrier between this happiness and unhappiness, representative of the idea of segregation itself.
• The mother’s facial expression becomes a symbol of hope the black community’s hope for bridging the racial divide and creating an equal society, as she looks on and dreams about the day her daughter will have access to the same rights and opportunities as any other citizen of America.

 

• Both the poem and the picture echo the same message about segregation and hope through depicting the lived experiences of members of the black community at that time.
• They both explain the life of despondency that black people have to live, yet how they choose to emerge out of it stronger, so that the next generation can enjoy a more fruitful and hopeful living.