‘Cora Unashamed’: Education, Reputation, and Family

Abstract

Over the decades, numerous writers have made a concerted effort to address a number of societal norms that have persisted, including injustice, oppression, and cruel treatment. One of those authors is Langston Hughes, who bravely depicts the struggle that Black people actually face in a system dominated by White people in his story ‘Cora Unashamed.’ This covers all aspects of life, including schooling and social status. Learning takes place beyond the classroom. Instead, society and family—where a person is raised, shaped, and indoctrinated—play a major role in his/her education.  Hughes includes ‘Cora Unashamed’ in The Ways of White Folks (1971). The story's central relationship is that between the white and black races; Cora is a representative of the black people in the narrative, while the Studevant family and their daughter are white. The male-female dynamic in this narrative is noteworthy as well. This essay will examine Hughes' three points of emphasis—education, reputation, and family. The essay tries to clarify such components and how they impact a person's life. They are mixed together and impacted in the same way.