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Langston Hughes in his poem “Mother to Son” has the mother give advice to her son about life and never giving up no matter how difficult life becomes. Hughes uses a metaphor of a staircase to convey the message of the mother. The mother tells her son that even though her life has not been a “crystal staircase”; meaning comfort and ease, but rather a wooden staircase indicating poverty, she has never given up. Although my life is not a crystal staircase yet and I have experienced difficulties and obstacles, I am aspiring everyday to reach that staircase.
Just as the mother describes her life with “tacks, splinters, boards torn up and places with no carpet on the floor”, English as a second language has come in my life as an obstacle that motivates me to reach my crystal staircase. This has showed me how important it is to maintain my own culture as well as to enrich it. My Advanced Placement English class has helped me overcome this obstacle. My goals as an individual motivate me to reach higher to my crystal staircase. High School along with all the extracurricular activities have taught me incredible values that I believe may help me to achieve my goals. Responsibility and leadership are two of the positive attributes found inside me, both as a student and as an individual. For example, the National Honor Society (ARISTA) and the Spanish Honor Society have helped me carry these values along my way. As a member of these organizations, I need to take responsibilities such as meeting deadlines, attending to the meetings, and being committed to myself to maintain their honorable names. Within these organizations, I must commit myself to community service in order to be an active member. When I help others in my community, a beautiful feeling inside me guides me towards my crystal staircase.
The following lines, “So, boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps”, show that the mother does not want her son to avoid this difficult...