Literary Analysis of Why, You Reckon?

Literary Analysis of Why, You Reckon? By Langston Hughes

    The most believed idea is that money can buy happiness. Many people believe money is the answer to all the questions in life, including happiness. But, in Why, You Reckon? Langston Hughes uses irony, conversation, and character development to reveal that money can’t buy happiness.

    At the start of Why, You Reckon? Hughes usage of character development as he opens up the story is remarkable. He starts with, “Well sir, I ain’t never been mixed up in nothing wrong before nor since, and I don’t intend to be again, but I was hongry that night.” (Hughes 253) This quote gives the audience the idea that the character is not educated and, very likely, poor. “ Depression times before the war plants opened up and money got to circulating again and that Second World War had busted out.” (Hughes 253) From this, you can see that the time period, in which the narrator is in, is the 1930’s. At this point, Hughes has painted a full picture of the narrator.

    Through narration, the reader is faced with irony. After the narrator meets another individual, like him, they plan to rob a rich white man and split their findings evenly. Instead, the other fellow is left exactly the way he started, hungry and cold. “And, man, don’t you know he went on from that basement and took all that stuff!... He’d done took the money, the diamonds, and everythin’, even the shoes!” (Hughes 257) The audience was expecting the other fellow and the narrator to split the stuff evenly, but the other fellow took all of the stolen items. “ Ain’t you gonna gimme none? I hollered runnin’ after him down the dark hall. Where’s my part?... Get back there, he yelled at me and watch that white boy till I get out o’ here.” (Hughes 258) This quote shows the situational irony. While the fellow is running away with the stolen items, He is still giving orders, and the narrator listens.

    Towards the end of the short story, Hughes uses dialogue to exhibit irony. The reader is expecting the white boy to be terrified but Hughes puts a spin a spin on the story, surprising the reader.

    “Say,” said the white boy “is he gone?”

    “He ain’t here,” I said.

    “Gee, this was exciting,” said the white fellow, turning up his collar. “This is was thrilling!”

    “What?” I says.

    “This is the first exciting thing that’s happened to me,” said the white guy. “This is the first time in my life I’ve ever had a good time in Harlem”

    As the story ends the narrator asks one question that really makes the reader stop and think. “I went on up the street hungrier than I am now. And I kept thinkin’ about that boy with all his money. I said to myself, “What do you suppose is the matter with rich white folks? Why you reckon they ain’t happy?” This is where the theme is clarified, money can’t buy happiness.