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Richard Wright Stereotypes

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“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. had given many speeches to appeal to his own kin and tried to convince them that as life is filled with challenges, and discrimination is just one of those challenges. Richard Wright is a prefect example of how many individuals had fought against the discrimination in many ways, yet there were many who were too fearful of change. Throughout his autobiography, Black Boy, Richard Wright does not succumb to the influences around him, and gives his best effort to refuse the stereotypes placed on how a typical Negro should live his future.

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Wright’s introduction to this lifestyle is when his mother sends him to buy some groceries, but he is confronted by a group of boys who beat him up and take his money. A bruised and beaten up scared boy walks back home, empty handed, and tells his mother the story. “ ‘Take this money, this note, and this stick,’ she said. ‘Go to the store and buy those groceries. If those boys bother you, then fight.’ ’" (17). Richard is taught at a young age the “fight or flight” response, which became a characteristic that he needed in order to survive the world they live in. Later on in his life, Wright is beat by his Uncle and Aunt for actions that they saw as “wrong”, yet he knew that he had not done anything wrong, so he starts to rebel against these beatings. “I knew that I had conquered him, had rid myself of him mentally and emotionally” (160). This quote came after Uncle Tom and Wright were having an argument about how he had informed his Uncle of the time. He was trying to go to sleep and Uncle Tom had interrupted him and asked for the time. Richard was a bit drowsy, so he was unsure of the exact time and said, “If it’s a little slow or fast, it’s not far wrong.”(162) For some reason, this made Uncle Tom furious enough to want to give a whipping for the sassy tone he had. Wright had enough of those around him telling him that he’s a monster, a criminal with no future, and comes to the resolution to not take the beatings for when he isn’t in the wrong, and fights back. An event occurred in Sacramento on the night of March 19, where a young African American by the name of Stephon Clark, had been fatally shot by two officers. Outrage broke out, as the victim, Stephon Clark, was shot to death, as the officers assumed that the cell phone he was holding was a firearm, and shot a total of 20 shots in total.

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Richard Wrights memoir Black Boy teaches it's readers about how living in the America was set up.most importantly it teaches how badly black people were treated. Wright was mistreated just because he was a young black boy living in the south. In the memoir Black Boy Richard was trying to tell his reader how bad racism was back when he was a kid. Back in the 1900's Wright also used pathos to show how his emotions were toward racism.

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Richard Wright experienced “hunger” that could not be perceived today. Richard was a young black child with no father in the 1900’s who would eventually grow to despise the south. He had one goal in mind which was to head north and escape the grasp of the south 's cruelty. However, achieving his goal was much harder than Richard originally planned. Richard Wright’s Black Boy contains many dimensions of “hunger” such as his hunger for food, knowledge, and reaching the promised land of the north, which all describe the struggles of an African American during the early 1900’s.

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His mother did not really give the love and nurture he and his brother needed. Richard needed a job so he started to work for Ms. Moss. When he went to go work for Mrs. Moss, he realized that all mothers were not like his. In fact, when Richard started to work for her, she gave him all the love and nurture he was not getting from his real mom. Even though his mother, Ella Wright, was not really considered “motherly”, Ms. Moss was “bland and motherly as always” (226).

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1171 Words | 5 Pages

Wright’s stubbornness begins to bloom in his early childhood, and is especially brought out while in school. When Ms. Addie, Richard’s teacher and aunt, punishes him for being disrespectful in class, Richard lets his obdurate nature get the best of him: “When she had finished I continued to hold out my hand, indicating to her that her blows could never really get to me, my eyes fixed and unblinking upon her face… I was sure of one thing: I would not be beaten by her again” (107). Richard’s stubbornness makes him act as though he is feeling nothing, is in no pain. Although this trait brings him temporary sorrow from his aunt 's continued beating, it aids Richard in the long run. He is able to withstand racist and prejudice people and find success in his life.

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“I was learning rapidly how to watch white people, to observe their every move, every fleeting expression, how to interpret what we said and what we left unsaid” (Wright 181). Richard uses his observation of whites to guide himself on how to act and react around white people. For example he must agree with the whites even if he truly disagrees. For example he must agree with the whites even if he truly disagrees. “I answered with false heartiness, falling quickly into that nigger-being-a-good-natured-boy-in-the- presence-of-a-white-man pattern, a pattern into which I could now slide easily” (Wright 234).

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