Mr. Z's Dream Deferred

Works: "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes
            "Mr. Z" by M. Carl Holman

Both authors present a message of smothered hopes and dreams. But, while we are presented with a stock character in Hughes's poem, Mr. Z is described with details that form a round character. Hughes's character could represent the African American slave whose dreams were crushed by his bonds. This character is highly explored in the world of literature. Mr. Z is the slightly more modern African American, probably living a little while before the resurgence of African American pride movement. He feels the need to cover his ethnic identity to fit in with the Ango-Saxon ideals. The poem is peppered with ironic tones, especially in the last line. Still, we find the throwback use of "Z" to replace the "X" that was used to symbolize the non-identity of an illiterate person. Holman takes off from the idea Hughes started. Hughes's general ideas of smothered dreams inspire Holman's more specific message of how we can squash our dreams to fit in with the rest or to get ahead.