Reading and Writing about Literature
             In "Ballad of the Landlord" by Langston Hughes is a story that displays repression and oppression. Oppression is the act of subjugating by cruelty, being kept down by unjust use of force or authority. Repression is a state of forcible subjugation or the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious (Word Web). The oppression occurs when the tenet has no choice but two live in an unsanitary building where every thing is broken and he has to deal with it. The tenet repressed himself by not harming the landlord.
             The oppression being showed in this story is both social and racial oppression. This type has been around for years and is the most common types of oppression. In this case the landlord refuses to uphold his responsibility of maintaining the building. Many landlords continue to behave this way because they know the tenets can't do anything. There only alternative was to discontinue to pay rent and in that case they are evicted. In reality the only way to get these thing accomplished is to go to court in which none of these people living in the ghetto/projects can afford.
             The tenet repressed himself. Repression is a key to survival in this world ( if you can hold your self back and control your will than you should be able to accomplish a lot in life. He threatens to punch the landlord and physically harm him. But as most threat are, "only threats." The landlord asserting his power over the tenet and had him arrested. There was no way that the landlord could have been arrested (even if he threatens the tenet). In those areas and environments the police tend to favor the people with the most money. Therefore even though the tenet repressed him self enough to avoid hitting the landlord, he didn't repress him self enough
             ...