In an essay titled "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," African-American poet Langston Hughes discusses the importance of creating a black voice in a predominantly white America. Hughes strove to do this in his work, as he used the rhythmic styles of jazz and bebop in his poetry to speak to the African-American experience. His essay is a criticism of black artists who do not follow this trend and instead choose to focus on "universal" topics. “Universal” in this context means “white.” Although he does not mention the word ideology, his argument relies heavily on the concept, as he analyzes the artistic consequences of the “scheme of American standardization” (“The Negro Artist” 55), a mold created by ideological beliefs about race. Say no to plagiarism . Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Furthermore, an Althusserian reading of this essay reveals how the African-American population is systematically "otherized" not only by the white population, but also by members of the African-American community. Hughes' poetry, particularly his Montage of a Dream Deferred series, exemplifies his desire to break ideological beliefs constructed to silence his community. Hughes's essay begins with his disappointment in a fellow artist who told him, "I want to be a poet not a Negro poet" (“The Negro Artist” 55). Hughes interprets this statement to mean that the writer unconsciously wishes "to be white ", following a logical path according to which wanting to write like any other poet of the time is synonymous with wanting to "write like a white poet" (Hughes 55). . In his essay it is clear that Hughes is deeply aware of the fact that to be a commercially successful artist in the early twentieth century one must appeal to the white community He also understands that to succeed one must “be as least Negro and as American as possible” (“The Negro Artist” 55). "white", Hughes comments on the bitter reality that being white means being "normal" in his society, an ideological belief that stems from the fact that the white population is in control of education, government, and culture in America. Althusser defines ideology as “the imaginary relation of individuals to their real conditions of existence” (Althusser 693). In the context of Hughes' argument, the actual conditions of existence are that the African-American population is systematically oppressed and underrepresented, while the imagined relationship is the belief that this is because "whiteness" is seen as "a symbol of all virtues" "("The Negro Artist" 55). This belief is constantly reaffirmed because of a person's tendency to "[behave] in such and such a way, [adopt] such and such a practical attitude, and … [participate] in certain regular practices… on which the ideas one nourishes 'depends'. has in all conscience freely chosen as a subject” (Althusser 696). that trap them in ideology. For example, it is clear that the family of the unnamed poet described in Hughes' essay chooses to exist within racist ideology: The father… is the head steward in a large white club. The mother sometimes she dedicates herself to sewing or organizes parties for the rich families of the city. The children attend a mixed school. At home they read newspapers and magazines. And the mother often says, "Don't be like n—" when the kids are naughty. A frequent phrase from the father is: "Look how well a white man does things." ("The Negro Artist" 55) By living life according to the guidelines established by white Americans, the family is suppressinghis African-American roots and, according to Hughes, stifling his son's potential as an artist. It is for this reason that Hughes criticizes those who give in to the “inner need.” rush to whiteness,” (“The Negro Artist” 55) because he believes that artists are responsible for creating a uniquely African-American cultural voice that is independent by pre-existing dominant white American culture. By controlling education, white Americans are able to perpetuate their own narrative and continually reify beliefs that trivialize black culture and black art low class” or “the so-called common element” are more likely to produce a “truly great Negro artist” (“The Negro Artist” 56) than middle and upper class African Americans; By white American standards he is incapable of “interpreting the beauty of his own people” because “he has never been taught to see that beauty. Rather, he is taught not to see it, or, if he sees it, to be ashamed of it when it is not according to the models Caucasians” (“The Negro Artist” 56). On the contrary, according to Hughes, “ordinary people are not afraid of the spiritual, as their more intellectual brethren long were, and jazz is their child” and consequently “they accept without question what their beauty is” (“ The black artist” 56). Hughes comments on the problematic nature of American education in his poem "Theme for English B." The speaker of the poem is attempting to write “a page” (“Theme” 3) that is “true” (“Theme” 5) as an assignment for an instructor who is presumed to be white, and in doing so addresses issues of race in education . He briefly refers to the problem of underrepresentation in the phrase "I'm the only black student in my class" ("Theme" 10), which was not unusual in his time since the minority of African-Americans were able to obtain an education, much less at graduation. In this sense, the speaker of the poem is extremely privileged, even if he is only in academia. Hughes ironically makes the speaker relatable to all readers by listing universal interests, writing “I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. / I like working, reading, learning, and understanding life,” (“Theme” 21-22), followed by the statement “I guess being black doesn't stop me from liking / the same things other racialized people like” ( “Theme” 25-26). Furthermore, Hughes recognizes how white ideology permeates education in the lines, “instructor. / Are you white? / yet part of me, as I am part of you. / This is American” (“Theme” 30-33). Although at first glance it appears that Hughes is discussing the idea of ​​the American “melting pot,” an Althusserian reading of the poem may also suggest that the white professor and his ideals are taking root in the black student. The themes of the Montage of a Dream Deferred series, as well as the essay “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” are those of African-American culture and its relationship to white America. For example, in the poem "Dream Boogie", Hughes uses the rhythm of the uniquely African-American bebop musical style while discussing the issue of voicelessness. The poem's upbeat tone is a reference to the minstrel culture perpetuated by the white community, as African Americans were encouraged to be extraordinary performers with exaggerated movements and facial expressions to entertain white audiences. To discuss the problematic nature of this arrangement, Hughes ironically pairs the happy rhythm of bebop music with lines such as: “Good morning, Daddy! / Haven't you heard / The boogie-woogie rumble / Of a dream deferred?" ("Dream Boogie" 1-4). He also uses hyphens to indicate breaks in speech, since African Americans werediscouraged from voicing their grievances about their status within the broader American culture. For example, a break in the black cultural narrative can be seen in the lines: “Listen to it carefully: / Haven't you heard / something underneath / how? / What did I say?" ("Dream Boogie" 5-9). The italicized lines show a resistance to expressing concern and stifling one's thoughts, which is representative of black America as a whole. These lines are immediately followed by the verse: “Of course, / I'm happy! / Take it away!” (“Dream Boogie” 15-17), signifying the continuation of a performance regardless of whether it facilitates the lack of voice. In addition, the performance represents the continuation of a complacent existence within the white ideology , “Dream Boogie” is paired with many others in the series, which symbolizes the seemingly endless and inevitable “performance” that the African-American community must participate in to be accepted “Boogie: 1 AM” Hughes repeats the introduction almost exactly of “Dream Boogie,” with only a few adjustments, as he writes: “Good evening, Daddy! / I know you've heard / The rumble of boogie-woogie / Of a dream deferred” (“Boogie: 1 AM” 1-4). later in the series, this poem is used to express the idea that, at this point, the complaints of the African American community have finally been heard. However, no action is yet taken to correct them, as the bottom half of the poem is a. another perpetuation of the performance: "Trilling the treble / And twining the bass / Into Midnight Ruffles / Of cat-gut lace" ("Boogie: 1 AM" 5-8). There are no consequences for ignoring 'the dream deferred' until the poem "Nightmare Boogie", in which the speaker glimpses a black culture in "a dream" ("Nightmare Boogie" 1) where he says he sees "a million faces/ black like me!” (“Nightmare Boogie 3-4). However, the repercussions of ignoring the deferred dream appear in the following few lines, as the dream turns into “A nightmarish dream,” (“Nightmare Boogie” 5) in which, “Faster than light / All those faces / Are turned white as death" (“Nightmare Boogie” 6-8). By attempting to live as a black person within a white-dominated culture, the speaker is denied the experience of existing within a community of like-minded and supportive individuals. This poem is a continuation of a statement that Hughes makes in his essay: In my opinion, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist, if he accepts any duty from strangers, to change through the force of his art that old whisper "I want to be white ", hidden in the aspirations of its people, to "Why should I want to be white, I am black and beautiful!" (“The Negro Artist” 59) In both his essay and his poetry, Hughes attempts to call the black artists of his time to action and convince them to participate in the creation of an African-American identity, free from white ideology . Perhaps the poem that most accurately describes the tendency to stay within the confines of an oppressive ideology is Hughes's “Motto.” The speaker represents the majority of African Americans and describes the harsh reality of facing life as a black person in a white America. The poem reads like a life lesson, as the speaker explains: "I play great / And I like all the jive / That's why / I stay alive" ("Motto" 1-4). Please note: This is just an example Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Although Hughes is criticizing this lifestyle, he is at the same time acknowledging its importance, as choosing whether or not to adhere to the white ideology of the time period was literally a life-or-death decision. The final lines of this poem, “Dig And Be Dug / In,, 1951.