Richard Wright's Black Boy

Over six million African Americans and blacks moved from the South to the North in aspiration of seeking a better life and a fresh start. Black Boy, by Richard Wright, is the story of a young black boy, Richard, that is piloting himself through the Jim Crow South. Richard grew up in a primarily black community with his mom, Ella, and his younger brother, Alan . However, Richard is surprised to see how the blacks and whites interact. Due to his skin color, Richard is treated unfairly which makes it harder for him to thrive. As Richard comes of age, he is left to support his family. With no help or advice from his father, Richard labors many jobs in hope that he can obtain enough money to move himself and his family to the North. Although rebellious,

At times, his rebellious standpoint causes complications between himself and others. This is communicated when Richard strangles the kitten. Richard’s father asked asked him to kill the kitten because it was disturbing him. Accordingly, Richard strangled the cat even though his father’s words were not meant to be taken literally. By rebelling, he was trying to show how cruel his father truly was. Likewise, Richard is compelled to fight back against his relatives punishment, especially when he “ lunged at [Aunt Addie] with [a] knife” (108). In this occurrence, Richard is accused of lying by Aunt Addie and he does not want to be beat with a switch, so he fights back. After years worth of accusations and brutal discipline, Richard finally stands up to his family because he can not take it any longer. Additionally, Richard refuses to accept the black and white codes. Blacks are suppose to be uneducated workers that obey every word that the whites say to them. However, Richard works to be a successful writer despite the fact that it is a struggle for blacks to have a higher ranking job in a prejudice environment. In conclusion, Richard’s rebellious attitude is both a hindrance and great attribute to his

Although Richard is told not do certain activities to improve his life, he is driven to do them because it is his way out of the South. To begin with, Richard is told by Granny and his Aunt that he can not get a job even though his mother encourages it. After his mother acquires a paralytic stroke, Richard feels compelled to obtain a job. Against his granny and aunt’s wishes, he finds a job so that he can support his family and provide them with basic necessities. In like manner, Richard is committed to moving himself and his family to the North. He feels like the North is the place where they can be free and escape life in the South, so he does everything in his power to get their. For instance, Richard “poses as an innocent boy” (254) you have a lot of good evidence, but you will want to say how this is affecting his character. so that he could smoothly leave his job without incident. Richard is also intent on becoming a triumphant black writer in a biased community. Many people thought that black people were not meant for anything more than working for white people. Nonetheless, Richard ventures to become one of the few black people to high have a sufficient job. Richard’s determination is a key contributor to his success in society. Richard’s upbringing and life in a racist environment has lead him to develop a rebellious