On the Road (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Langston Hughes
- First Published: 1935
- Type of Plot: Satire
- Time of Work: 1934
- Setting: Reno, Nevada
- Principal Characters: Sargeant, Mr. Dorset, Two white police officers, Christ
- Genres: Short fiction, Satire
- Subjects: African Americans, United States or Americans, Homelessness or homeless people, Blacks, Police, Depression, economic, 1930’s, Jesus Christ
- Locales: Reno, NV
The Story
Sargeant, an African American vagrant, seeking food and shelter, arrives in Reno, Nevada, in late 1934 in the midst of a dangerous snowstorm. It is bitterly cold but his overwhelming concern is to find food. To him, the snow falls almost undetected; he is too hungry, sleepy, and tired to notice the storm. The first potential refuge that Sargeant encounters is a parsonage. Its occupant, the Reverend Mr. Dorset, opens the parsonage door and sees Sargeant as “a human piece of night with snow on his face” standing on his porch. Before Sargeant can open his mouth,...
[The entire page is 1250 words long]
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