Analysis: Berry by Langston Hughes

Summary
Berry is about a young black man called Millberry Jones who is employed at Dr. Renfield’s
Home for Crippled Children. He was reluctantly employed by Mrs. Osborn, the housekeeper,
because the Scandinavian kitchen boy had left without notice, leaving her no choice in hiring
Berry. Her reluctance to hire Berry stemmed from his race, which initiated questions such as
where he would sleep, as well as how the other employees would react to the presence of a
Negro. She had a meeting with Dr. Renfield and they decided to hire Millberry on a reduced
salary. He was overworked and underpaid, but took solace in the children whom he loved. An
unfortunate incident occurred, however, where a child fell from his wheelchair while in the care
of Berry. The result was that Berry was fired and given no salary for the week that he had
worked.

SETTING
New Jersey Coast – USA
Dr. Renfield’s Home for Crippled Children
Racist Environment

CHARACTERS
Millbury Jones (Berry)
A Black male, approximately 20 years old.
Described as good natured and strong.
Poor and uneducated.
Very observant and intuitive about people and places.
Very good with children due to his gentleness.
Mrs. Osborn
The housekeeper at the children’s home.
Rumoured to be in love with Dr. Renfield.
Very high handed with her staff, but docile with Dr. Renfield.
Displays racist characteristics in subtle forms.
Dr. Renfield
Owner and doctor of the Home for cripple children
Rumoured to have romantic affairs with his female staff.
Berry observes that the Home is ‘Doc Renfield’s own private gyp game’ (Hughes, p. 162),
meaning that he runs his establishment for his own profit, instead of a desire to take genuine care
of the children. He is blatantly racist.

Narrative POV
1. Third-person omniscient: The story is predominantly told from a third-person omniscient
perspective, where the narrator knows and can access the thoughts and feelings of
multiple characters, including Berry. This perspective allows the reader to gain insights
into Berry's experiences as well as the thoughts and actions of other characters in the
story.
2. First-person: At certain points in the story, Berry himself narrates his experiences and
feelings directly to the reader in the first person. This perspective offers a more intimate
and personal insight into Berry's inner thoughts and emotions, providing a deeper
understanding of his character and perspective.

THEMES
Racism / Racial Prejudice
This theme is apparent when Berry was being considered for employment at the Home. Mrs.
Osborn was concerned about where Berry would sleep, implying that he could not sleep with the
white servants because he was considered to be beneath them. His salary was also cut due to his
race, and he was overworked, with no discussions of days off, ‘everybody was imposing on him
in that taken-for-granted way white folks do with Negro help.’ (Hughes, 162). Even more
importantly, when the unfortunate accident occurred with the child, there was no attempt at
discerning what led to the incident, but blame was laid on the obvious person – Berry. As a
result, he was relieved of his job in a hail of racist slurs. The students will be placed in their peer
groups to analyze various aspects of the story.

Oppression
The theme of oppression is expressed repetitively throughout this story. White workers and
superiors kept expecting Milberry to do more and more. Milberry’s response to these requests
was a quiet acceptance without bitterness because he was happy and thankful enough to have this
job and food. In the story Milberry found happiness in helping the crippled children at play
during his brief rest period. At first the nurses were hesitant whether they should allow it or not.
At the end of the story the nurses had changed their mind frame about Berry and would come
looking for and demanding his immediate help.
In his typical nature in responding to and accepting their demand he unknowingly caused his
own demise. While Berry was helping a boy in a wheelchair down the stairs, due to know fault
of Berry’s own doing, the boy fell out of the chair onto the grass and the wheelchair onto the
walk. In the fall the boy was not hurt but the wheelchairs back was snapped off. In this scene
Langston Hughes uses the wheelchair as a symbol of Milberry’s undoing. The wheelchair’s
falling represents Berry’s falling from the grace of the white people’s acceptance. The snapped
back of the wheelchair foreshadows Berry’s immediate termination of employment. Even though
it was the white nurses responsibility and job they quickly and gladly placed all the blame for the
accident upon Berry. This truly exemplifies the use of oppression of white people over blacks.
Love
Berry’s love for the children and their love for him
Exploitation of the Less Fortunate
 Berry being paid less but forced to work more
 Berry being Fired without pay for an incident that was not his fault
 Parents being allowed to pay an expensive fee when the children were not being given
proper care or food until there was an expected visit.
Inequality and Injustice in the Workplace
 Berry was paid less than the white workers
 He was forced to do more work outside of his job description and not get paid for it
Handicap / Disability (Physical & Social)
 The Children’s physical handicap
 Berry’s social handicap because of his race
Appearance vs Reality
 The doctor and nurses pretended to care for the children and their well-being when they
really did not – they were just in it for the money.
 The provision of good food when they had visitors and bad food once the visitors had
gone.
Symbols
 Wheelchair –the snapping of the back symbolized Berry’s immediate termination and
also his fall from grace from the white people’s acceptance.
  Attic – This is located at the top of the house which signifies Berry’s moral superiority
over the white people.
Motif of Disability
 The physical disability of the children and Berry’s social disability

Narrative Techniques
 Irony – Even though Berry is treated socially inferior, he is morally superior to his white
counterparts. Also, even though he is wrongfully accused of hurting the child, the child
clung to him for comfort and did not blame him at all.
 Stream of Consciousness – 3rd person Narrator breaks to give us the characters’ thoughts
at different parts in the story.
 Contrast – Berry is Black and treated unfairly vs The White Employers and their
superior treatment. We can look at Berry’s humility even though he knew he was being
treated unfairly vs the White people’s arrogance.
 Symbolism – The different symbols that prove Berry’s character as morally superior to
his white counterparts, as well as the undoing or termination of Berry from his
employment.
 Dialogue:
Dialogue is used to reveal the interactions and relationships between characters, particularly
between Berry and the white boys in the town. Through their conversations, the reader gains
insight into the racial tensions and discrimination prevalent in the community.
The dialogue also serves to highlight Berry's aspirations, frustrations, and
resilience as he navigates the challenges of poverty and racism.
 Foreshadowing:
Foreshadowing is subtly woven into the narrative to hint at future events or outcomes. For
example, early in the story, Berry expresses his desire to become a farmer like Mr. Greenleaf,
which foreshadows his future aspirations and dreams.
Additionally, the harsh realities of Berry's life, such as the dilapidated condition of his family's
home and his struggles to afford school, foreshadow the challenges he will face as the story
unfolds.
 Repetition:
 Repetition is used to emphasize key themes and motifs throughout the story. For instance, the
repetition of Berry's encounters with the white boys and their rejection of him underscores
the pervasive nature of racism in the community.
Similarly, Berry's repeated reflections on his desire for a better life and his admiration for Mr.
Greenleaf's success serve to reinforce his aspirations and the disparity between his current
circumstances and his dreams.

Conflict
External Conflicts:
1. Racial Discrimination: Berry faces discrimination and racism from the white boys in the
town who refuse to let him play with them. This external conflict arises due to societal
prejudices and racism prevalent in the community.
2. Poverty: The story highlights the economic struggles of Berry's family, who are poor and
live in a run-down shack. Poverty acts as an external obstacle for Berry, affecting his
quality of life and opportunities.
3. Lack of Education: Berry's inability to attend school due to financial constraints and the
need to work to support his family represents another external conflict. The lack of access
to education limits his prospects and perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
Internal Conflicts:
1. Desire for Acceptance
:Berry experiences an internal conflict stemming from his desire to be accepted and treated
equally by the white boys in the town. Despite their rejection and mistreatment, Berry longs to
belong and play with them, leading to feelings of frustration and inadequacy.
2. Sense of Identity: Berry grapples with his sense of identity and self-worth in a society
that devalues him because of his race and economic status. This internal conflict involves
Berry's struggle to define himself and find pride in who he is despite the oppressive
circumstances he faces.
3. Ambition and Realism: Berry dreams of becoming a successful farmer like Mr.
Greenleaf, but he also grapples with the harsh realities of his impoverished life. This
internal conflict reflects Berry's struggle to reconcile his aspirations with the limitations
imposed by his socioeconomic status.