It is a common practice for poets to alter the traditional meaning of words and use the context to provide an alternate meaning. Langston Hughes uses this means in his poem ‘Theme for English B’ to alter the interpretation of the word American.
Oxford English Dictionary defines American as relating to or characteristic of the United States or its inhabitants. This definition lays emphasis on the factual nature of the word and how it denotes something almost physical, like the American flag. The use of the word American in Hughes’ poem, however, is less tangible and characteristic can be used to describe it only as it pertains to the behavior of Americans.
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In the context of the poem, the author uses American to depict his similarity in behavior and likelihoods to his instructor, although he is colored. By listing some of the primary things he likes to do (eat, sleep, work) and certain preferences in gifts (certain records or a pipe for Christmas), the author highlights his similarities to his white counterparts, and suggests that what they may not share in physical appearance is made up for in similar interests and preferences.
Similarly, the author suggests that these similarities make them American and whether they like it or not, they are connected. The author emphasizes on the fact that being American is not superficial, since their connection is based on similar culture. The complementary ‘parts’ of each other is what makes them American.
The author redefined the word American in modernist terms to bypass the near physical characteristic of the word and instead used it to note how complementing and sharing values is what really defined the word, or at least in relation to his poem.
