Black Boy

“BLACK BOY”

This novel focuses on the struggle for identity of a young black boy in the Deep South. It is a powerful testament of Richard Wright’s life which depicts a tale of hope and determination. Richard’s life growing up as an African American in the Jim Crow South, paints for the reader the economic and social struggle that were clichéd for African Americans at the time. It follows young Richard through his youth, examining the hardships and obstacles faced by both him and his poverty-stricken family. Richard’s only thought is to find a haven outside the prison that is his family’s circumstances. Black Boy also shows a hunger in Richard not just for food but for acceptance, love and a sense of understanding about what is happening around him but most importantly he is seeking knowledge. Richard uses writing to explore and expand his mind but Richard discovers through an epiphany that writing will help him break out from the constraining worlds of racism, poverty and family.

Throughout his life, Richard faces the need for a loving family to help and encourage him, but his family in a way, unknowingly help to form his independence. Richard’s family was unable to provide what a family is normally supposed to, which was love, acceptance, and security. Throughout his youth, he faced the need to be independent. Richard's father was a terrible example to Richard of how an African-American man should act in the struggle of being black by drinking and womanizing. Richard's mother was his true example and taught him how to carry himself. Richard’s Mother made him have to fight back whenever he felt that people were being unreasonable towards him. A prime example of this was when he is jumped and the grocery shopping money is constantly being taken from him, his mother just gives him a stick and gives him these words ‘‘If these boys bother you, then fight.'' She does this only to make him strong and independent because she believes that this is only way not to be eaten up by the world.

The social difference between African Americans and Caucasian society is quite evident in the book. Richard is continuously beaten both bodily and emotionally by white people who feel a sense of superiority being they are White and feel they have the born right to this black boy like nobody. The Novel gives a vivid depiction of this harsh treatment. Wright receives a job working at an optical shop in Jackson, and he is excited to learn all about the craft, there are two white men who are working there and refuse to teach him the craft. They harass Wright into hopes for him to leave the job by threatening him with physical violence and trying to break his pride of being an African American ‘Nigger you think you'll ever amount to anything? If I was a nigger, I'd kill myself.'' The two men torture Richard for their own personal enjoyment until they take it too far and almost kill him after that he quickly leaves the job. Ironically Wright meets he meets the first white man who has ever shown an ounce of a heart. This man is Mr.Crane, the owner of the optical shop. Mr.Crane cares deeply for Richard and his struggle, he is able to see Richard as a person unlike most. Richard realizes that there are people specifically white people who do not make colored people out to be an abomination. He himself doesn’t see the difference between white people and black people and doesn’t change the way he acts around either

When Richard is very young, the reader can already tell that he is unlike the majority of the other Black boys of his time. He is passionate and yearns to read and write. He is hungry for knowledge and making the world a better place. Wright is never fully accepted even amongst his own people. When he is around other black boys they seem to be in confusion of Wright and he feels the same way towards them. Richard never settles to be normal. When Richard becomes associated with a group of communists, he decides to rebel against them even though he is alone and he knows that they will try and fight him. Instead of being ignorant to their cause Wright does some research for himself to fully understand what they fight for and their goals. The communist do not always accept him, but they do fear his unresolved to change his values. Richard is the independent member of the party, the only one who is willing to share his real thoughts and says what he feels no matter who is around if he feels something is unjust even if he will be by himself in his own corner.

Wright’s greatest hunger is for knowledge itself. This drive for wanting to learn and know more is what sets him apart from everyone also causing the distance he has with others. Wright cares not for people but words. Seeking knowledge gives Richard a sense of purpose and direction in his life. This hunger causes him get an immense curiosity in the world. He begins to see his world for what it is but still questioned why, why the racial gap between blacks and whites. At a young age he questioned many adults around him, but never got an answer but rather harsh treatment for asking. He would constantly challenge authority. Wright wanted his knowledge base to grow so that he could answer his own questions. Wright is never given the opportunity to have a decent education. The streets were his only classroom in his life. Eventually he was able to go to public school where he excelled exponential. His family never fully supports him in his journey and make his studies difficult. Wright flees to Memphis where meets a Jewish man who helps him to continue his education by giving him his library card. Wright takes full advantage of this and opens every book he can. Wright begins to develop a new understanding of the world and what it takes to have a better life.

In conclusion, Richard becomes independent from a very young age. He realizes that he cannot always rely on other people. Richard learns to be on his own needing no one as no one could help him or understand him. The reason wright chose to call this book black boy was because from the way he was raised and his experience made him think of himself as nothing more than a black boy. The word boy was used by southern whites to say that black men were unable to grow and mature. In this novel we see Wright break out of that prison and grow into manhood and surpass those around even at a young age. This novel gives the true depiction of the struggle African Americans in this time but showed that with perseverance, the colored people could break from the prison of enslavement.