Title: Hughes vs. Hurston | rvbailey
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rvbailey
Hughes vs. Hurston
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Content: In his essay The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain, Hughes says, “We Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame (1314).” Both show race pride in their essays. In my opinion they are more alike than different. Hughes and Hurston both understand the necessity for art to incorporate the African American vernacular tradition. Hughes mentions that the Black artist brings rhythm and warmth of Jazz and Blues and they bring joy and sorrow as they are not afraid of Spirituals. This type of artist, according to Hughes, is not afraid of being himself and therefore is a “true Negro artist” (1312). Hurston believed that through art and the vernacular, Blacks have influenced the standard American civilization. Through the vernacular Black people have made a great contribution to the English language through metaphor and simile, double descriptive, and the use of verbal nouns (1042). She also argues that through the ability to re-interpret everything for their use, Black artists also bring originality to the surface. One issue that may have led to eventual fallout between Hughes and Hurston is the issue of Black and American as separate.