Theme for English B

¶ … English B

A place that influenced who I am in the way that being in class influenced Hughes is a local homeless shelter. My church group decided to play "Santa" for the shelter one Christmas. It worked out well for our group because Christmas was actually on a Saturday. Being at the place with the residents was eye opening for me because I never knew actually thought about homelessness or how one might become homeless before. The shelter was not decorated with many holiday decorations. In fact, someone mentioned that they were all donations. The lighting was bad in the big living area where the residents watched television and had their Christmas tree. The tree was artificial and it had several bald spots. Half of the lights on it did not work and there were no presents under the tree until our group placed some there. Some people sat alone on sofas and a few children played quietly in one of the corners of the room. The television was on, it had bad reception and the volume was too low to hear. The sound of pots and pans rattling came from somewhere and as it was announced that Santa had arrived, the residents began to gather around the tree. Some looked happy but most looked very sad. In this place where people from all walks of life had to live together and get along, I saw how the human spirit has very little to do with money or status. This was due to one of the residents living at the shelter, whose name was Rick. Rick was a Mexican man in his 30s and he was one of the happiest people I have ever met in my life. He was the first person to greet us as we walked up the shelter and he was the first person to thank us. He did not know it, but he was the bright light in that shelter and those who were there with him were blessed, as was I.

In "Theme for English B," the poet is speaking from the point-of-view as being the "only colored student" (10) in a classroom where he expected to feel somewhat safe. His home is Harlem, however, and it is through this place that he establishes his identity. As we were listening to one of the residents tell a story about how they got in a fight because their child was teased for living in a shelter, Rick made the comment that he should not be looked at any differently because he had no home. Then he went on to say that he did have a home -- even though it might not be the best in the world. He identified himself with his roots, which took him to Memphis, but that was a part of who he was. He was quick to point out that staying in a homeless shelter for a few months was did not define him but people wanted it to define him. People would turn him down for jobs because he was homeless and this created even more problems for him as he tried to work himself out of a bad situation. Still, he was trying to keep things in perspective as he looked for work. He said it was a "bad situation" but he was doing the best he could to find the good in it.

Rick volunteered to help us pass out gifts that weekend and he also helped clean the place up. He treated the other residents with dignity as he was working. He said that while there were many residents in the shelter, none of them was alike but people insisted on treating them the same way. Often, residents will find reasons to fight and argue with one another but he wanted to be above that kind of behavior. He was sensitive to the fact that all of them had rough experiences and were just like him in that they were trying to make things better. He would comment that all the residents were citizens of the country and they all deserved the same rights as anyone else, whether they had a home or not. He would rally around residents when they suffered an injustice and try to work toward an amiable situation with them if her could. In "Theme for English B," the wants to know more about the human condition and writes, "It's not easy to know what is true for you or me" (Hughes Theme for English B. 16) and "you are white- / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. / That's American" (31-3). I see the Rick as feeling the same way toward his fellow residents. He would rather look at what he had in common with others as opposed to differences. The poet wants to see what he and others enjoy, such as eating and sleeping and being in love. Rick, too, wanted to know this about others. He might have had a different skin color as some of the other residents but that did not matter when it came to issues below the surface. In "Theme for English B," racial issues are important but not much more important than anything else. The poet does not want to build walls between himself and others -- he wants to build bridges and this was like Rick. The poet writes, admits, "Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. / nor do I often want to be a part of you. / but we are, that's true!" (34-6). The poet is willing to recognize differences but he will not let them be too problematic. On that Christmas weekend, I saw Rick attempt to help others overlook their problems and search for the goodness in everything. After the children had unwrapped their gifts, he told everyone that this was one of the best Christmas' he had ever seen because everything, from a pair of socks to sugar cookies for snacks, was appreciated,