SIMPLE'S UNCLE SAM

by Langston Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

The main voice in these interludes, 43 newspaper and magazine pieces best described as story-anecdotes, is Jesse B. Semple, or Simple, whom Hughes has developed over the years as a ""reflector"" of the moods, spirit, whimsies and hopes of the tenants of the Negro ghetto. The subjects include the civil rights scene, national and local politics, even air raid shelters and marriage as an institution. Simple is the Average Man Militant. His fanciful disquisitions often lead to serious revelations--such as his dream in which Negroes rule the South and ""Mammy"" Eastland come begging for a handout. Harlem is a place, and one gets the feeling of it through several characters; but Harlem is also an idea and Hughes makes it more comprehensible to anyone befuddled by its complexities. As for Jesse B., he proves by his commentary on the de facto racist institutions which most white people take for granted as unbiased that he is as simple as a Jesuit.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 0809086816

Page Count: -

Publisher: Hill & Wang

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1965

Categories: FICTION