Setting

Physical setting

“One Friday Morning” by Langston Hughes was published in 1941. Several details in the story, such as the committee openly rejecting Nancy Lee for being African American, and the use of the term “colored” (p. 2, l. 1), suggest that the story is meant to be read as contemporary to the time of publishing. The story follows Nancy Lee over the course of a few days in April (p. 3, l. 31). The narrator also mentions a moment in the recent past, when Miss Dietrich asked Nancy Lee to choose a color for the frame of her painting (p. 3, ll. 1-4).

The action takes place somewhere in the Middle West of the US (p. 2, ll. 21-22). While the author includes the name of different locations in Nancy Lee’s city – such as George Washington High (p. 1, ll. 9-10), the Park-Rose Hotel (p. 1, l. 15), the Art School (p. 1, ll. 15-16) – the city itself is not named. This adds to the symbolism of Nancy Lee’s parents move from the deeply racist South towards the supposedly more liberal North of the US. As opposed to the South, in the 1940s, the North of the US was not officially segregated and was considered much more open to equal rights for African Americans. Thus, by suggesting that the action takes place in a supposedly more progressive state than in the South, the author is able to show that racism existed throughout America. 

The events take place mainly in the high school building, including the vice principal’s office, and at Nancy Lee’s house. Nan...