Identity In Richard Wright's Black Boy

Words: 496
Pages: 2
Open Document
In Richard Wright's, Black Boy, Richards race affects him deeply. His identity and his survival all come into question because of the way his skin is colored. Even when he was a child he noticed that some people have lighter skin than others. However he did not know the difference until he grew older. Still to this day, some people affiliate black people with criminals. White people and black people both identify Richard as a thief though he is not. In the world that he grew up in it is hard for black people to get good jobs with out being in danger of the revocations of angry "Whites". Richard Wright's father leaves the family when he is a young boy. He knew that he would soon have to become the man of the house so he was not aloud to have much of a childhood. Though he acts like an adult his family still sees his as a kid and does not respect him. …show more content…
When they see him, all they see is a small negro boy who is good for nothing and steals. However Richard is against stealing. Many of his friends call him a "dumb nigger" because he does not steal from white people. Richard Wright writes, "I had never stolen a penny from anyone." though other people of his race were steeling and feeding the stereotype. Richard is still young so even he does not know his full identity. He feels that if he can discover his race than he can understand the world around him better. He asks his mother, "What has Papa got in him?", she tells him that he has: "Some white and some red and some black"(Wright 120) in him. This answer confuses him, he is not just white, indian, or black but his mother informs him that he will be considered as a colored man and Richard is satisfied with this
Show More

Related Documents: Identity In Richard Wright's Black Boy

Richard Wright Negro

down on negros, which forced the. Richard Wright concludes that being a negro is difficult through experiences and changes taken in him physically and mentally. Richard Wright's understanding of what is a negro gradually builds up through his encounter with other people known in society. One experience that builds Richard is when he “...felt something hard and cold smash me between the eyes...”’ ain't you learned no better sense than that yet” (Wright 181). Richard begins to…

Words 586 - Pages 3

How Did Richard Wright's Childhood Affect The Path Of American Culture

The path of American culture was impacted through the dark and realistic writing about race and humanity that Richard Wright wrote in the 1940s by creating a change in the relationships of African Americans and white Americans. Richard Wright’s childhood had a major role in the future of his literary works. The events that he had to experience and overcome as a young boy were dark and bitter, which led him to grow up with a negative perspective on people. Wright “[W]as beaten severely for…

Words 1510 - Pages 7