Bildungsroman
This artistic memoir is shaped by the story arc known as bildungsroman which explains the emergence of a person's ineffable adult character from their latent childhood potential. That is just a technical way of saying that this book has as its dynamic imagery the establishment of Langston Hughes's own personal opinion of his character and self. The imagery is florid with beautiful prose and reflections on the self which suggest a much more spiritual experience of reality than one might suppose.
Poverty
The imagery of poverty has abstract qualities of shame because of the setting; in America, poverty is often treated as a choice because people often misunderstand the truth about disenfranchisement and racial bias. As a young, black man, Langston is often treated with open contempt by those who are not in his community, and within his community he is often treated as a pariah and a nerd. This is part of the imagery of poverty because this captures his community's unfamiliarity with opportunity.
Art and literature
Langston Hughes is a highly recognized writer, and in this memoir we see through imagery his commitment to academic knowledge and truly artistic expression of the self. We see the tactical, concrete aspects of his lifestyle, his commitment to books, his quiet and studious personality, his martyrdom for the arts. The imagery of art and literature is also a major component of his travels in Europe, because he is exploring his experience of self in the effort of communicating his sense of self through art.
Self-esteem
There is more to the imagery of self-esteem than just confidence or depression. In fact, Langston suggests that self-esteem is largely a reflection of social opinions around you. That concrete imagery is extrapolated in the person's imagination to an abstract sense of value. That makes for a problematic dynamic because the setting of this academic and artistic legend makes him chronically suspicious of himself. His own father seems to be unimpressed with him; this is the major symbol that defines the imagery's dynamic. The esteem of a father is important currency in the development of self-esteem; without it, he must become a hero to attain his own approval.
