1. Why does Langston Hughes become a writer?

2. How do Hughes's travels influence his writing?

3. What is the Harlem Renaissance?

Who are some of the figures involved?

How is Hughes connected to this movement? How is Hughes connected to the American poetic renaissance associated with the work of e. e. cummings and Marianne Moore?

4. What are Hughes's goals as a writer?

Does he achieve them? Why or why not?

5. Which writers influence Hughes?

How can you detect their influence?