The poem tells of a young black man with a writing assignment where he simply has to write a page about whatever he wants. Hughes uses the narrator in this poem to provide some insight into the obstacles he believed were in his path as he tried to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. The speaker tells the audience that he is in college and that "I'm the only black student in my class" (Hughes line 10). During that time, it was very rare for anyone of color to participate in higher education. The speaker tells us that he is from the Harlem area and identifies with the people of Harlem just as Harlem identifies with him. Hughes understood the feelings and daily lives of the people of Harlem, New York, and gave his fictional speaker those same understandings. The writer tells the audience his feelings towards the white American population when he says, “I guess being black doesn't make me dislike / the same things that other people of other races like” (lines 25-26). Hughes used his speaker to explain how both whites and blacks want to become writers, but blacks are at a disadvantage due to the social differences between the two. Langston Hughes wanted his readers to understand the cultural differences between people of color and non-colored people. Jeannine Johnson states that "for Hughes, poetry is to some extent about self-expression and exploration, especially when the 'self' is understood as a sign of an individual's identity that is always influenced by and influences a larger culture wide". One of the best-known parts of this poem is when the speaker tells his instructor, “You are white / yet you are a part of me, as I am a part of you / This is American” (lines 31-33). These lines tell the reader that although blacks and whites have their differences, regardless of race they are both Americans. Hughes uses