Structure

The short story “Tales of Simple: Coffee Break” by Langston Hughes is structured as a dialogue between the protagonist and his boss during a coffee break, which Simple renders to someone else.

While most stories are organized in a sequence of events forming a plot, this short story is organized around an exchange of ideas. There is no real action and no events in the story, but a simple discussion about the status of African-Americans in the 1960s in the USA. Consequently, though the story has several points of tension and a climactic moment, they are represented by certain ideas regarding whites and blacks.

Title

The title of the short story - “Tales of Simple: Coffee Break” - is very straightforward. It announces the text presents another of Simple’s experiences, namely a coffee break.

...

Beginning

The short story begins directly, in media res, or in the middle of a conversation between Simple and an unnamed narrator:

...

Middle

The middle of the short story renders this ‘yesterday’s conversation’ between Simple and his boss. The story is built on the conflicting opinions the characters have regarding the status of African-Americans in the USA.

...

Ending

The ending of the short story includes a certain falling action – when Simple explains what he understands by ‘jail’ and what African-Americans want, namely reintegration:

...