Langston Hughes witnessed things no person should have to witness at any point during his or her life. An execution, a tragic accident, and a suicide all occurred before he finally left for Columbia. These events helped to shape Langston into the man he became later on in life. In "The Big Sea," Langston Hughes" autobiography, readers see that these events did not affect him as much as they might affect other people. The book also shows readers the difference in reactions to tragic events between Mexican culture and American culture.
One day as Langston and his father were coming back from their ranch, he witnessed something no one should ever have to see. They were at a place called Las Cruces where he saw the remains of an execution. Three accused Indian bandits were hanging from a tree. They had been robbed of everything but their white trousers. The Federal troops had hanged them there as an example to others and to show them they were taking every situation very serious. Langston, however, did not seem to take it to heart like it was supposed to be taken. He seemed disgusted, but did not seem to have my sympathy for the men. The most reaction he had was that they were "like puppets stiff against the sky" (58).
He also witnessed a tragic accident. There was an Indian out on a corner one day near Langston's home. Unfortunately, both of his legs were cut off by a stray streetcar. However, the situation with the Indian did not end there. As he went to let his father and the horse he was riding out of the corral one morning, the horse suddenly started acting up. Almost as if he had seen a ghost. A ghost of an Indian with no legs, according to Maximiliano. His superstition also shows a lot about the Mexican beliefs at the time. They were very superstitious about many things, especially when dealing with death. The horse was so frightened, that he threw the father off and onto the ground.
