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I, Too - Objective Summary
I, Too - Objective Summary
I, Too - Objective Summary
Heisthe
“darkerbrother”whoissenttoeatinthekitchenwhenthereareguestsvisiting.
However,hedoeslaughandheeatswellandgrowsbiggerandstrongerbecause
tomorrow,hewillsitatthetablewhentheguestscome,andnoonewilldaretotellhim
toeatinthekitchen.Theywillseehisbeautyandbeashamed,for,asheclaims,“I,too,
amAmerica.”Hugheswrote"I,Too"fromtheperspectiveofanAfricanAmericanman-
eitheraslave,afreemanintheJimCrowSouth,orevenadomesticservant.The
speakerbeginsbydeclaringthathetoocan“singAmerica,”meaningthatheisclaiming
hisrighttofeelpatriotictowardsAmerica,eventhoughheisthe“darker”brotherwho
cannotsitatthetableandmusteatinthekitchen.Thisalludestothecommonpractice
ofracialsegregationwhereAfricanAmericansfaceddiscriminationinnearlyevery
aspectoftheirlives.Theywereforcedtolive,work,eatandtravelseparatelyfromtheir
whitecounterparts,hadfewcivilorlegalrights,andwereoftenvictimsofracialviolence
inboththeNorthandtheSouth.TheinvocationofAmericaisimportant,forHugheshe
isexpressinghisbeliefthatAfricanAmericansareavaluablepartofthecountry's
populationandthatheforeseesaraciallyequalsocietyinthenearfuture.Thethemefor
thispoemwouldbehavingperseverance.Youneedperseverancefrompast
experiencestobeabletoaccomplishanytaskinfrontofyouespeciallyataskas
seeminglyinsurmountableasracismfromthetimeperiodthispoemiswrittenin.This
poemhasaverypositiveconnotationbecausethespeakerhasaverypositiveattitude.
Hefeelsveryconfidentinthefactthattherewillbeabright,equalfutureforhisrace,
accordingtothetext,"ButIlaugh,Andeatwell,Andgrowstrong".Heknowsthatright
nowpeoplewillmockhim,butinthefuturetheywillrespecthim.