Question

Explain in an essay of at least one hundred words what the metaphor of the mountain represents in the Langston Hughes essay, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain."

Answer 1

Answer:

The mountain is a great metaphor in the Langston Hughes essay, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain." It is important possibly more important than anything else in the essay. The mountain represents a wall you have to jump over on your journey , an obstacle you have to get through to continue , the mountain for African American artists represents all the tough racial ,mental , and physical challenges they had to face in order for their work and their titles as artists be recognized by everyone breaking racial boundaries and many other boundaries. The way Hughes portrays his beliefs which makes sense at the time about African American artists being very talented with exceptional art work who desire and dream of their work being recognized but they have little hope due to the racist times back then they felt they would not reach those dreams and desires because they were not white. So that falls in with the mountain representing obstacles and doubts African American artists went through.

Explanation:

Answer 2

The mountain is, above all things, meant to be considered an obstacle for Negro artists to have their work recognized; product of a racial dispute. Hughes describes Negro artists as talented individuals who desire their works to be recognized, but in their own minds understand that this could only be achieved if they were white - as society expects geniality to emerge from -. Hughes desires these individuals to be encouraged, keeping their works coming and going, but only if these artists find pride in their own capabilities, and not to struggle on whether their work would be accepted or not based on the color of their skin.