Black Boy Thesis

Black Boy by Richard Wright is a memoir that details Wright’s childhood as a talented but poor Black boy in the Jim Crow south. The book focuses on Richard’s metamorphosis into a writer by emphasizing the development of the traits that allow him to mature. One of those traits is self confidence. Throughout the book, Richard maintains a strong and unbreakable belief in his own abilities, and he tries to dissociate himself from those who would minimize them. Richard is an oppressed minority, and he often does not have power. He is often frustrated that he cannot do more to fight back against the cruelty of white southern society. However, since he maintains his confidence, Richard’s perspective is markedly different from the roles that both Black

He explains to himself that right now, he is in a position of constant small terror, and is taking a risk that will either increase the terror or eliminate a major part of it. Stealing is Richard’s first outright and self aware violation of a set morals that he had presented in the past. He had other options to escape the South, such as saving money slowly and honestly, and yet he chose not to. Richard observes that he is expected to be a criminal. He notes the terrifying times when he was brutally attacked despite his clear innocence and vulnerability. But in this moment, in the interest of self-preservation and ambition, Richard becomes what white society continues to see him as: a criminal. However, because he doesn’t get caught, Richard is not a criminal, he is just committing a crime, and the world’s perception of his existence does not change at all. But despite not facing a consequence, Richard is not happy about his decision to steal. He is anxious and remorseful, and he describes his act of robbery as “gambling,” something that, in a Christian household, Richard would have been told was abhorrent. But Richard cares about his life and his future a lot more than he cares about Christian values and societal norms. He makes the decision to flee the

Shorty is also a strong-willed, smart young Black man, in whom Richard sees many elements of himself. Richard is disgusted by a scene in which Shorty makes a fool of himself to get a quarter from a white man, making himself into what Richard believes to be an abominable caricature for twenty five cents. Richard also sees Shorty as a microcosm of a larger part of Black society at the time because he, like many others, plays into stereotypes and hurts himself to try to get ahead. When the white man leaves the elevator, he says ‘You’re all right, Shorty, you sonofabitch,’ he said. ‘I know it!’ Shorty screamed, then let his voice trail off in a gale of wild laughter. [Richard] witnessed this scene or its variant at least a score of times, and [Richard] felt no anger or hatred, only disgust and loathing” (228-9). Richard describes Shorty as “wild,” because Shorty performs himself as a crazy and animalistic version of a Black man. The white man in the elevator insults both Shorty and his mother by calling him a sonofabitch, degrading him to the level of an animal. Although this is a friendly interaction, the language and tone show a power difference in which the white man largely maintains his composure and status as Shorty is kicked and