The Ways Of White Folks

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The Ways of White Folks

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Introduction

The book, The Ways of White Folks is a collection of various short stories published in

1934 by Langston Hughes. In whole coverage, 14 short stories compose the book. Its title is

derived from the story of a young black man known as Berry, who is employed in a children’s

home for caring the handicapped children working as a repairperson. In his work, he is exploited

and he cannot comprehend why this occurs. He himself says, “The ways of white folks, I mean

some white folks, is too much for me. I rekon they must be a few good ones, but most of em ain’t

good—least wise they don’t treat me good. And Lawd knows, I ain’t never done nothin’ to them,

nothin’ a-tall

(p.15)”. Black people encountered high-level discrimination and suffering while

working in various employment cadres in either private or public service while working for the

white society.

Themes and Analysis

Since the era of slavery and the liberation period pioneered by WEB Du Bois, Martin

Luther King and other liberators, black people endured a lot of nasty things that impeded their

progress in attaining education, better housing and work due to their skin pigmentation. The

white person felt superior, and he needed special treatment. This unfair treatment of the black did

not exist in America alone. In other parts of the world, such forms of racial discrimination

existed such as the apartheid rule in South Africa and other parts of Africa. In these areas during

colonization, the white settlers had their exclusive schools, areas of residence, hotels, and

entertainment joints where the black Africans were not allowed any form of access. To them, a

black person was their slave worthless and some kind of a less and savage person.

Hughes, Langston. 2010. The ways of white folks. New York: Vintage Books.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=739090.

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Langston Hughes, in his book, espouses this aspect of racial discrimination based on skin

pigmentation and colour by publishing the various short stories that illustrate the forms of

discrimination meted to the black people. Vulgar words such as “nigga” arose in this time

denoting how the white people held the black man is disgrace and worthless. In one of the short

stories titled, Home, it explains the journey of a Black Country music musician who plied his

trade by playing his music in various big European cities of Paris, Rome and others. Everywhere

he goes in Europe and other parts of the world, he plays his music very well and people feel

happy, people adore and appreciate him very fondly (p. 36).

However, after many years of globetrotting and much success, he returns to his native

home in Missouri when he feels unwell for a little bit. As he is walking in the streets, a white

person yells and calls him “Nigger” and there he remembers that for around dozen years, he had

forgot the colour of his skin

. After this incident, it reminds him he is home. This shows how the

white person harbored huge demeanor, disdain to the blacks, where irrespective of the success a

black person achieved, a white person saw, and viewed him as worthless.

Stereotyping is another issue faced by black people and it came with various forms of

restrictions. The whites felt superior and deserved a special recognition and treatment in the

availing of the social amenities and in general life. It was possible to have areas reserved for the

whites in hotels, public places and in social places. In the book, Langston wrote a story titled,

Poor Little Black Fellow, where it is about the story of a black girl adopted by Pembertons. She

was known as Arnie. Her biological parent’s father and mother worked as stable man and

housekeeper respectively and they died years ago while the girl was an infant. Therefore, the girl

Hughes, Langston. 2010. The ways of white folks. New York: Vintage Books.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=739090.

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was brought up in the normal circumstances just like the Pembertons white boy even sending her

to a boarding school. Unknown to her, the worst happened while on a European trip in one

summer, when Arnie was denied access to first class cabin while traveling on a ship and she had

to sleep on the lower deck, as she was not Caucasian (p. 96). This restriction affected Arnie

largely and while on a family trip in Paris, she decides not to return to US after she makes friends

with a group of musicians and girls who were Black and decides to focus on composing music.

Conclusion

The racial discrimination of the blacks existed more predominantly in the 19

century.

However, in US there are still few incidents of racial abuse on basis of skin colour mostly

involving shooting of the blacks by the police and denial of access to certain public and social

places

. Even in parts of Africa, the white inhabitants have perpetuated this concept by

establishing their own business for use by the whites only and every time a black person is

spotted there, he/she is chased away immediately. This is not right as even the Bible says that we

are all equal in the eyes of the God.

Earl, Kristen Marie. 2015. Race, class, and sex: transgression in Langston Hughes's "The ways of white folks". Thesis (B.A.)--Reed College,

2005

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Bibliography

Earl, Kristen Marie. 2015. Race, class, and sex: transgression in Langston Hughes's "The ways

of white folks". Thesis (B.A.)--Reed College, 2005.

Hughes, Langston. 2010. The ways of white folks. New York: Vintage Books.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&A

N=739090.

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