Critique of Julie Aberdeens Essay on the Writings of...

Critique of Julie Aberdeens essay on the writings of Langston Hughes during the Harlem Renaissance Aberdeens essay on Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance had a clear theme that was supported throughout by many examples. While an actual thesis statement was lacking, or a title that would have provided similar direction, the content stayed close to the topics of striving for equality and cultural identity through the writings of Hughes. A good thesis statement for this essay might be: This essay will examine how Langston Hughes sought equality and a cultural identity through his writing during the Harlem Renaissance. The first theme of striving for equality was well supported by Aberdeen, through the use of direct quotes from Hughes poetry. The second theme of striving for cultural identity was supported in the same way, but elaborated further on this topic by examining Hughes use of the Black English Vernacular, and jazz and blues phrasing and tempo, in his poetry. If there were a dominant theme in this essay, it would have been striving for cultural identity. There was, however, a background theme that I identified in this essay. This was the implication that Hughes would not have written what he wrote if the Harlem Renaissance had not occurred. Im not convinced of this implication. The only reason I noticed this assumption is because I was captured by the essay as written. So this objection is purely a philosophical one and unrelated to how well the