He said, Madam,

It's not up to me.

I'm just the agent,

Don't you see?



I said, Naturally,

You pass the buck.

If it's money you want

You're out of luck.

—“Madam and the Rent Man,”
Langston Hughes

Which phrase in these stanzas reflects the bold attitude working-class people were developing after the Harlem Renaissance?

“You pass the buck”
“I’m just the agent”
“Don’t you see?”
“If it’s money you want”