Bop

By: Langston Hughes

 

    In an essay dedicated to both black culture as well as the struggles the African American population faces, Langston Hughes goes on to explain the everyday struggles of the average black man through the meaning of bop.  According to Hughes, a highly acclaimed African American writer and Lincoln University graduate, bop is a form of African American music brought upon the media through the cops brutal tactics on the black community.  Through Hughes essay Bop, a man by the name of Simple goes on to explain to the main character, who is left unnamed, the history of bop music and how its popularity grew among the community.  With the addition of both colloquialism as well as the usage of onomatopoeia, Hughes manages to further bring his essay to life in a way that it is interesting to all readers of both African and Caucasian descent.  While the essay was most likely aimed towards the black population, as times have changed since the publication of this essay, this essay’s audience and purpose has also seemed to change.  In a society where equality is stressed more than ever, this essay's audience has expanded to those who wish to learn more about the black vernacular as well as possibly the African American influence on pop culture today.  While the use of colloquialism may spark confusion at time for certain readers, I believe that without it, the essay would be that much less appealing to the average reader.  Through Hughes usage of rhetorics, Hughes manages to not only inform us about the daily struggle of the African American population,  but also put us in the place of the average black man himself.  While Simple in the essay Bop stresses that “Folks who ain’t suffered much cannot play Bop, neither appreciate it” (Hughes 191), Hughes manages to make his reader respect the black race for the challenges they faced everyday.

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