In the realm of African-American literature, poet and writer Langston Hughes is considered one of the primary proponents that gave birth and development to the genre of Harlem Renaissance. This genre, which enjoyed popularity and support in the late 1920s until mid-1930s, was a cultural movement that depicted the life of "new Negros," second-generation black Americans and direct descendants of African slaves in America. Harlem Renaissance was known for its incorporation of music, particularly jazz and the blues, in its everyday mirroring of African-American life through literature. .

             Hughes as a major proponent of the Harlem Renaissance movement created literary pieces that sought to express his thoughts and feelings as an African-American artist while at the same time, providing social criticism against the oppressive nature of the predominantly white American society. His literary works, in effect, became channels through which he was able to artistically express his and his fellow African-Americans' sentiments about the realities they face in American society.

             Among Hughes major works of literature, the short story "The Blues I'm Playing" depict the dynamics that both white and black Americans experienced during the early 20th century. In this period, there was still evident division and discrimination between white and black Americans, with the black Americans gradually emerging as a major force in American society through their unique culture. "Blues" effectively illustrated the dynamics among Americans, white and black alike, as they struggled to assert the superiority of their respective race, culture, as well as gender.

             It is then this paper's main thrust to discuss and analyze "Blues" in the context of three prevalent themes illustrated in the story: friction between white and black Americans through conflicting views about each group/sector's race, culture, and viewpoints about gender roles.