Analysis of on the Road by Langston Hughes

Beautiful symbolism and imagery are found in the literature work On the Road by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes offers a gift in this work which is to open the heart and life will provide unlimited abundance. During this literary analysis Langston Hughes uses nature to demonstrate his main character's unwillingness to participate in life. Another point that Hughes demonstrates is the use of anger and survival and how it can be used as a powerful force in breaking down racial barriers. One more impact Langston Hughes uses is Jesus Christ as a metaphor. Hughes uses this as how people experience life and how traditional church values contradict each other when it comes to the acceptance of human beings. Therefore after reading On the Road, the views of nature, racial barriers, and values are explained to the readers and power behind them.

To begin, Langston Hughes uses nature to demonstrate a distinct relationship amongst blacks and whites. The writing shows the relationship between the different races amongst the men and women. Langston Hughes use of snow and night express a point simple enough, but through the use of these metaphors, he enables the story to be less invasive and more appealing. Langston Hughes' main character, Sargeant, is left doubting the goodness of life. Hughes wrote, "Sargeant didn't see the snow, not even under the bright lights of the main street, falling white and flaky against the night. He was too hungry, too sleepy, too tired". Langston Hughes stated this because the character was one minded at the time and did not take the time to notice the beauty and lesson that nature showed to him. 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. Hughes writes that if combined, the beauty of both night and snow create a perfect harmony. "...falling white and flaky against the night” This line represents the white colored snow and the word flaky to symbolize the white and black race. The thought appears that dark and light can come together. The contrast of the light and dark created a complete symmetry to the world and society. Langston Hughes use of nature gives the thought of the outside world but the feeling of emotion in the heart. Something as easy as nature creates the biggest impact to the soul. Hughes realized that and he expressed it in his work of On the Road.

Another point that is conveyed in Langston Hughes' work is the use of anger and survival in his main character. These two things combined can be a powerful force when it comes to taking action against the suppression of society. The main character faced society in the vision of racism. Langston Hughes expressed that the thought of the black man was the fact that the black man was mistreated and the whites were to blame. Anger is often the result when expressions are limited. From anger, survivalist mode kicks in, and the feeling of being detached from God. As seen in the works, 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. Langston Hughes conducted his words of this literature to make points clear and abrasive. The main character was desperate and wanted to prove the whites wrong, but what was actually going on was not the proving the whites wrong but proving to him that he can achieve greatness. Langston Hughes uses that anger and hatred to power his goals and strengths in order to make it further in life.

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" 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 expressed these emotions and feelings to show determination and the power of will. Hughes could also be saying that Sargeant wasn't only trying to survive, but he was holding onto his faith. The way Langston Hughes wrote the works was a way to believe that the character has saw Christ and talked with him. By writing this way he has shown a new way of thinking and imagining. It was the way of thinking of what you believe even if you are not in your right state of mind.