Themes in the Novel Black Boy Essay - 1191 Words

Book review of Richard Wrights Black Boy, 1945 Introduction: I have never seen any part of the world where it seemed to me the masses of Negro People would be better off than right here in these Southern States - Booker T. Washington - Published in 1945, Richard Wrights autobiographical novel Black Boy was to prove the contrary. It documented prejudice and oppression caused by the Jim Crow laws in the Deep South in the early twentieth century. It is an account of the difficult road of an African American, who was convinced to have greater destiny than that of a stereotypical black person, the white people tried to transform him into. Wright tells the violent and disturbing story of his own life between the years 1908†¦show more content†¦Richard receives intense and often seemingly unreasonable beatings from his mother and grandmother, moreover, the members of his family are extremely religious and base their life principally on the word of the bible. Perhaps because of his natural distrust Richard remains unaffected by the religion, he simply does not feel anything and is hence considered dead by his grandmother and aunt. As years pass by Richards alienation increases in relation to the black community and the white world. Wright seems to criticize the subdued members of the black community who silently accept the white rule over them. The role model the southern whites have introduced for the blacks is so dominant that when Richards first short story is published in a black newspaper, instead of receiving compliments he is regarded as weird and he becomes even more isolated from the community. His grandmother accuses him of lying and condemns his fiction as devils work. It is this sense of isolation that drives Richard towards writing. Later in his life he grows to understand the true power of his words. Perhaps the most difficult challenge for Richard during the years in the South is to learn to deal with white people. He cannot understand why he should adapt to white supremacy and content with his place as a second-class citizen. However, in order to make his way out of the South, he has no choice but to actShow MoreRelatedSlavery and Racism Shown in Huckleberry Finn620 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain establishes three very prominent themes. These themes include racism and slavery, intellectual and moral education, and the hypocrisy of civilized society. The most dominant theme, racism and slavery, is recognized when the main character feels that he is doing the wrong thing in helping a runaway slave. It is also recognized in the passage where the main character talks to a boy who compares a black slave’s worth to two-hundred dollarsRead MorePoem Analysis : Mine Boy 1715 Words   |  7 Pages Peter Abrahams’  "Mine Boy† is a complex exploration of finding one’s identity and manhood. 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