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Bcoanu Simona-Maria
Professor: Annie J. Pennell
Text Analysis Seminar 6
11 Novemer !"1"
#an$ston %u$&es : '( too( sin$ America
T&rou$&out t&e entire )oemI, too, sing America(
t&e aut&or #an$ston %u$&es em)&asi*es
t&e ima$e of t&e ma+or )rolem of t&e
African-American )eo)le from t&e ,SA( in t&e time
t&at
&e live in: 1!"/. T&erefore( t&e ima$e from t&e
)oem escries t&e mar$inali*ation an
iscrimination of t&e lac0s in a orl rule y t&e &ite
)eo)le an it also escries &o t&eir
inner )oer &el)e t&em to )ass t&rou$&out all
t&e sufferin$s t&at t&ey &a to confront it&.
T&at
estalis&es t&e main t&eme of t&e )oem: t&e
social conition of t&e African-Americans y t&e
early 1t& century.
2irst of all( t&e lyrics :3T&ey sent me to eat in
t&e 0itc&en45&en com)any comes(3 7-89
refer to t&e slavery )erio for t&e African-American
)eo)le from America an &o t&ey ere
mistreate or treate +ust li0e sim)le useful tools or even li0e
t&e $ara$e t&at you nee to &ie
&en you &ave to receive $uests in orer to ma0e your
&ouse loo0 clean an fres&. 'n s)ite of
t&is a treatment( t&e ni$$ers &a t&e )ro)er
stren$t& to overcome t&e mar$inali*ation of t&eir
masters( fact &ic& is s&on in t&ese lyrics:3But
' lau$&4An eat ell(4An $ro stron$.3-;9.
T&us( t&ey on/t care if no t&ey/re not in t&e
attention of t&e society as lon$ as t&ey/re
to$et&er
ecause t&eir o)timism ma0e t&em &o)e of a etter orl
in &ic& everyone ill e a )art of a
i$ family( no matter t&e s0in color :3' am t&e ar0er
brother.3!9.
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#i0eise( in t&e secon stan*a( t&e aut&or rin$s out a
s)las& of o)timism an confience
t&at t&e future ill e ri$&ter for t&e
African-American )eo)le &o)in$ t&at t&e slavery ill
e
aolis&e once for all( not only formal( ut also t&at it
ill isa))ear from t&e minset of t&e
society. 'n t&is ay( not only t&at t&e &ite
)eo)le ill treat t&e lac0 )eo)le e
