랭스턴 휴즈 시의 주제 발전에 관한 연구

Abstract

This thesis aims to examine how Langston Hughes describes African-Americans' life in his whole poetry, and his recognition of African-American identity, the meaning of his resistance. The research on Langston Hughes has focused on his life or the musical structure of poetry so far. In contrast, this study attempts to deal with Hughes's resistance and vision as an African-American through his whole poetry. In order to study on the features of his poetry, this thesis is divided into two parts. Part Ⅱ deals with how Hughes describes the life of African-Americans. Hughes reveals African-American's miserable life performing simple labors. In addition, he expresses African-American's identity. African-Americans live in America, but they were actually considered disparate people by White. Thus, Hughes tries to depict metaphorically African-American's torment and suffering through natural images such as "river," "mountain," and "light." "River" and "mountain" stand for African Americans' tenacious vitality which makes them lead more powerful life and go forward to a passionate life. Also, Hughes encourages African-Americans to consider themselves preciously through "light" images. Part Ⅲ deals with how Hughes accepts himself as an African-American and resists the White-dominated American society. He expresses confidently his thoughts in his poetry that African-Americans are the same people as White and they are Americans, too. His thoughts eventually develops into the dream that all people in the world coexist with one another. The world that all people live equally and freely is not only Hughes's dream but also that of all African-Americans. For these reasons, Hughes's poetry becomes a model for the world in which people from diverse ethnic and multicultural origins live together.