Cora Unashamed

This short story by Langston Hughes weaves a number of tragic and regrettable stories -- and themes -- within the tapestry of the central story line. But Hughes also gives the reader a reason to believe that an African-American maid and cook can tower over white folks in tough times by the sheer will of her personality. The iconic poet and author creates a setting in which the images of black and white are distinct and psychologically, socially, and culturally juxtaposed in an interesting way that is also full of racial and social tensions. When you write a story in which the protagonist is a member of the only African-American family in a small nondescript Mid-western town, who is employed as a maid and cook by an upper class white family, there are endless opportunities for conflict, irony, and even tragedy.

Approaching this story critically one has to...
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