Analysis

Below, we pointed out some of the topics we touched upon when analyzing the short story “Tales of Simple: Temptation” by Langston Hughes.

The short story's structure is marked by a dialogue (conversation) between two African-American men about religion and racial inequality. At the end of the short story, the two characters reach some sort of agreement to their argument.

Langston Hughes's story features two characters: the narrator and Simple (Jesse B. Semple). The narrator’s inner characterization is constructed through dialogue, through the way he speaks and the ideas that he puts forth in the conversation with Simple.

The physical setting is probably somewhere in Harlem, New York. The social setting explores aspects connected to American society in the early 1960s, to religion, and racial prejudice.

The narrator does not impose his point of view on the readers. Instead, he uses direct speech to present both his point of view and that of Simple and let the readers decide whose point of view they prefer

The language of the short story is simple and easy to follow. Conveyed using only direct speech (dialogue), the language reflects the characters’ background.

Read the entire analysis of the story in the next pages!