Why you Reckon Literary Analysis

Langston Hughes was one of the few celebrated black writers of the 1920s to 1930s in his short story “why you reckon” he displays an image of the times of the great depression. The author givesa very painted out image of a poor mans perspective. There were still very present accounts of racism to be fathomed. The author uses two characters at the beginning to display peer pressure, racism, and poverty. When the two men robbed the whitepeople they portrayed a perspective that attempts to justify robbery. The rich people will flaunt and flaunt but at the end of the day theyre just as horrible in side of their beautiful shell because they dont have the heart to give. The two black men made the robbery a very personal, emotional encounter.

The first black man in the story displays a very strong willed bitter persuasive man. The other black man is easily persuaded so they went well together in an odd way. The story has an odd turn because in the end Langston Hughes turns the mood to whether you are poor or you are rich, everything you feel is held in your perspective. You can have all the money in the world or live in a shack and you still wont be happy or “entertained” if you dont allow yourself to be in the simplest things. The simple things are the most complex and unimaginably beautiful things life hands us sometimes. So, why you reckon the rich aint happy and neither are the poor?