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Berry - Literature Notes
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Langston Hughes was a poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright whose work contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. He attended Lincoln University and Columbia University. He was born on February 1, 1902, and died on May 22, 1967.
http://www.biography.com/people/langston-hughes-9346313#synopsis&awesm=~oCc6P0q71jpbjb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes |
PLOT
Berry is about a young black man called Millberry Jones who is employed at Dr. Renfield's Home for Crippled Children. He was reluctantly employed by Mrs. Osborn, the housekeeper, because the Scandinavian kitchen boy had left without notice, leaving her no choice in hiring Berry. Her reluctance to hire Berry stemmed from his race, which initiated questions (www.bulbsoup.com) such as where he would sleep, as well as how the other employees would react to the presence of a Negro. She had a meeting with Dr. Renfield and they decided to hire Millberry on a reduced salary. He was overworked and underpaid but took solace in the children whom he loved. An unfortunate incident occurred, however, when a child fell from his wheelchair while in the care of Berry. The result was that Berry was fired and given no salary for the week that he had worked.
Berry is about a young black man called Millberry Jones who is employed at Dr. Renfield's Home for Crippled Children. He was reluctantly employed by Mrs. Osborn, the housekeeper, because the Scandinavian kitchen boy had left without notice, leaving her no choice in hiring Berry. Her reluctance to hire Berry stemmed from his race, which initiated questions (www.bulbsoup.com) such as where he would sleep, as well as how the other employees would react to the presence of a Negro. She had a meeting with Dr. Renfield and they decided to hire Millberry on a reduced salary. He was overworked and underpaid but took solace in the children whom he loved. An unfortunate incident occurred, however, when a child fell from his wheelchair while in the care of Berry. The result was that Berry was fired and given no salary for the week that he had worked.
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SETTING
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CONFLICT
Dr. Renfield and his employees represent
the racist members of the society. who treat him unfairly, based on the colour of his skin. The results of this treatment are feelings of helplessness and isolation. |
CHARACTERS
Millbury Jones (Berry)
Mrs. Osborn
Dr. Renfield
Millbury Jones (Berry)
- A Black male, approximately 20 years old.
- Described as good-natured and strong.
- Poor and uneducated.
- Very observant and intuitive about people and places.
- Very good with children due to his gentleness.
Mrs. Osborn
- The housekeeper at the children's home.
- Rumoured to be in love with Dr. Renfield.
- Very high-handed with her staff, but docile with Dr. Renfield.
- Displays racist characteristics in subtle forms.
Dr. Renfield
- Rumoured to have romantic affairs with his female staff.
- Berry observes that the Home is 'Doc Renfield's own private gyp game' (Hughes, p. 162), meaning that he runs his establishment for his own profit, instead of a desire to take genuine care of the children.
- He is blatantly racist.
THEMATIC TABLE
THEME
Racism
This theme is apparent when Berry is being considered for employment at Dr. Renfield's Home for Crippled Children. Mrs. Osborn was concerned about where Berry would sleep, implying that he could not sleep with the white servants because he was considered to be beneath them. His salary was also cut due to his race, and he was overworked, with no discussions of days off, 'everybody was imposing on him in that taken-for-granted way white folks do with Negro help.' (Hughes, 162). Even more importantly, when (www.bulbsoup.com) the unfortunate accident occurred where a child fell, there was no attempt at discerning what led to the incident, but the blame was laid on the obvious person - Berry. As a result, he was relieved of his job in a hail of racist slurs.
Love
Berry clearly loved the children at Dr. Renfield's Home for Crippled Children. The manner in which he handled the children proves this point: "Milberry helped push the (www.bulbsoup.com) wheelchairs, a task which the nurses hated. And he held the hands of those kids with braces and twisted limbs as they hobbled along. He told them stories, and he made up jokes in the sun on the beach." (Hughes, 163). These tasks were done out of kindness because he empathized with the children, referring to them as "po' little children" (Hughes, 162).
Racism
This theme is apparent when Berry is being considered for employment at Dr. Renfield's Home for Crippled Children. Mrs. Osborn was concerned about where Berry would sleep, implying that he could not sleep with the white servants because he was considered to be beneath them. His salary was also cut due to his race, and he was overworked, with no discussions of days off, 'everybody was imposing on him in that taken-for-granted way white folks do with Negro help.' (Hughes, 162). Even more importantly, when (www.bulbsoup.com) the unfortunate accident occurred where a child fell, there was no attempt at discerning what led to the incident, but the blame was laid on the obvious person - Berry. As a result, he was relieved of his job in a hail of racist slurs.
Love
Berry clearly loved the children at Dr. Renfield's Home for Crippled Children. The manner in which he handled the children proves this point: "Milberry helped push the (www.bulbsoup.com) wheelchairs, a task which the nurses hated. And he held the hands of those kids with braces and twisted limbs as they hobbled along. He told them stories, and he made up jokes in the sun on the beach." (Hughes, 163). These tasks were done out of kindness because he empathized with the children, referring to them as "po' little children" (Hughes, 162).
TECHNIQUE
Irony
It is ironic that Berry is blamed, and ultimately fired for mistreating the children. This is so because his actions, prior to the accident, highlighted someone who cared greatly for the children. He would wheel them around and tell them stories, these are not the actions of a negligent person. The fact that he cared for the children under strenuous working conditions, further highlights the irony. It must also be acknowledged that it was not in Berry's job description to care for the children, it was the job of the nurses, so one would (www.bulbsoup.com) expect that the blame would fall on them. This technique highlights the theme of racism because it shows that Dr. Renfield scapegoated Berry, based on the colour of his skin. It was easier for him to blame the incident on the black dishwasher than to place the blame where it belonged, at the feet of the white nurses who were employed for that specific purpose. The fact that Dr. Renfield was able to send Berry off in a hail of racist epitaphs, "you careless black rascal ... The fool nigger!" (Hughes, 165), proves this point.
Irony
It is ironic that Berry is blamed, and ultimately fired for mistreating the children. This is so because his actions, prior to the accident, highlighted someone who cared greatly for the children. He would wheel them around and tell them stories, these are not the actions of a negligent person. The fact that he cared for the children under strenuous working conditions, further highlights the irony. It must also be acknowledged that it was not in Berry's job description to care for the children, it was the job of the nurses, so one would (www.bulbsoup.com) expect that the blame would fall on them. This technique highlights the theme of racism because it shows that Dr. Renfield scapegoated Berry, based on the colour of his skin. It was easier for him to blame the incident on the black dishwasher than to place the blame where it belonged, at the feet of the white nurses who were employed for that specific purpose. The fact that Dr. Renfield was able to send Berry off in a hail of racist epitaphs, "you careless black rascal ... The fool nigger!" (Hughes, 165), proves this point.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What was the issue that Mrs. Osborn was having with Berry, regarding his accommodations?
2. Where was Berry eventually employed?
3. What was the rumour about Mrs. Osborn's feelings towards Dr. Renfield?
4. What position did Mr. Osborn hold at the establishment?
5. Recount the discussion between Mrs. Osborn and Dr. Renfield about Berry. What decisions were made?
6.List the tasks that Berry was assigned. What was his view on the number of tasks?
7. What underhanded quality did Berry sense in the house?
8. What disatisfactory action did Berry observe regarding the treatment of the children?
9. How did Berry treat the children? Give examples.
10. List the ways in which the children's treatment of Berry differ from the adults.
11. What disastrous incident occurred regarding Berry and a child?
12. How did Dr. Renfield visualize this incident would impact the business?
13. List the names that Dr. Renfield called Berry at the end of this short story.
14. What point of view is used to tell the story?
1. What was the issue that Mrs. Osborn was having with Berry, regarding his accommodations?
2. Where was Berry eventually employed?
3. What was the rumour about Mrs. Osborn's feelings towards Dr. Renfield?
4. What position did Mr. Osborn hold at the establishment?
5. Recount the discussion between Mrs. Osborn and Dr. Renfield about Berry. What decisions were made?
6.List the tasks that Berry was assigned. What was his view on the number of tasks?
7. What underhanded quality did Berry sense in the house?
8. What disatisfactory action did Berry observe regarding the treatment of the children?
9. How did Berry treat the children? Give examples.
10. List the ways in which the children's treatment of Berry differ from the adults.
11. What disastrous incident occurred regarding Berry and a child?
12. How did Dr. Renfield visualize this incident would impact the business?
13. List the names that Dr. Renfield called Berry at the end of this short story.
14. What point of view is used to tell the story?
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Hughes, L. 'Berry' in A World of Prose, edited by David Williams and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. (Harlow, Essex) Pearson Education, 2005.
Hughes, L. 'Berry' in A World of Prose, edited by David Williams and Hazel Simmons-McDonald. (Harlow, Essex) Pearson Education, 2005.
