ENC 1102: Essay Planning Worksheet: Symbolism of Black Oppression

This assignment presents an ENC 1102 essay planning worksheet focusing on Langston Hughes' poem 'Harlem.' The worksheet guides the student through developing a thesis statement centered on the symbolism of black oppression within the poem. It includes topic sentences that explore the historical context of African American oppression, the imagery used by Hughes, and the overall message conveyed. The provided evidence supports these points, drawing from Hughes' writings and critical analyses. The assignment also includes a quote sandwich worksheet, which provides guidance on how to integrate textual evidence and literary criticism into an essay effectively. The student is prompted to use the quote sandwich method to incorporate a quotation from David S. Reynolds' criticism into a body paragraph, reinforcing the essay's argument about Montresor's manipulative nature. The worksheets are designed to help students structure their literary analysis, develop strong arguments, and effectively use textual evidence to support their claims.

Conclusion:
ENC 1102 - Essay Planning Worksheet
Title:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence:
Evidence:
Topic Sentence: Topic Sentence: Topic Sentence:
Evidence:Evidence:Evidence:
Title: Symbolism of Black oppression in Langston Hughes’ ‘Harlem’
Harlem is the eye piece of Symbolism that enables the readers to visualize the oppressive Black past in the Urban ‘hoods’.
Hughes writes 'Harlem' in the
backdrop of the African
American oppression in the
American neighborhoods.
Harlem was released at a time when
the American connotation of the Black
people still had instances of Slavery
and oppression attached to it.
Hughes uses intricate yet
common imagery to symbolize a
larger picture
All the symbolisms in the play
serve to refer to the suffering of
the oppressed black people
throughout America.
from his first publication down to
his latest, Mr. Hughes has been
concerned with teh black
metropolis (Davis 276)
The young blacks in the post
segregation America suffered
from high rates of unemployment
and disproportionate
incarcerations (Kitwana)
"Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?" (Hughes)
This line indicates the resentment
in the black population as well as
the cover up that the higher
societal people were trying to
achieve.
As Davis indicated, almost all of
Hughes' writing is based on the
sufferings of black people in
America and overseas.
'Harlem' is a perfect piece of literature that uses symbolism to indicate towards the harsh reality of black suffering.