Introduction
The short tales “Why You Reckon” by Langston Hughes and “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck deal with the subject of duty or community. Both stories have people who have a sense of obligation to their community, but how they express it and how their acts turn out varies. Thus, this paper aims to compare and contrast these two works from the perspective of community and responsibility.
Comparative Analysis of Duty and Community in Langston Hughes’ “Why You Reckon” and John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”
In “Why, You Guess,” Jim, the main character, feels a duty to his Harlem neighborhood. He decides to clean up the streets and remove the trash alone. Jim’s efforts are motivated by his love for his neighborhood and desire to improve it. He claims, “I couldn’t stand it to see folks throwin’ their garbage in the streets. I love Harlem too much for that” (Hughes 93). As a result of his affection for his town, Jim has a strong feeling of duty and works to improve it.
In “The Chrysanthemums,” Elisa experiences a similar sense of obligation to her house and garden. She takes tremendous delight in her chrysanthemums and works hard to maintain their good looks. Elisa feels a feeling of community and obligation towards the tinker when he displays interest in her flowers and appears. She provides him with some chrysanthemum shoots to plant and even several pots.
Elisa’s willingness to spread her passion for gardening demonstrates her feeling of obligation to her neighborhood. The tinker hears her add, “It would be good for you to have a few like these. They’d grow anywhere and take hold almost instantly” (Steinbeck 179). Their respective acts, however, had different results.
Jim’s attempts to clean up the streets are opposed, resulting in his demise. On the other hand, Elisa feels content and fulfilled due to her acts: ” She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly – like an old woman” (Steinbeck 186). Elisa’s tears show her commitment to the community and her joy at having been able to share her enthusiasm with another person.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the themes of community and duty are explored in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” and Langston Hughes’s “Why, You Suppose.” While Jim and Elisa share a feeling of obligation to their society, their deeds and the results of those deeds are very different. Elisa’s fulfillment underlines the benefits of community participation, while Jim’s terrible demise emphasizes the risks of taking on too much responsibility.
Works Cited
Hughes, Langston. “Why, You Reckon?.” New Yorker, 1934, pp. 66-71.
Steinbeck, John. The chrysanthemums. Penguin UK, 2014.