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The Horrible Childhood In Richard Wright's Black Boy

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In the book, Black Boy, by Richard Wright, Richard had a terrible childhood causing him to have severe physiological effects on his life. While, this idea is showed throughout the book, there are three incidents that show this idea. These incidents were when Richard was severely beaten and then suffered horrible flashbacks, when Richard produces anxiety around his relatives, and when Richard falls into a major depression.
The first incident is when Richard is severely beaten by his parents after burning down his own house. This was resonant to Richard, “I found myself lying in bed, screaming, determined to run away, tussling with my mother and father who were trying to keep me still. I was lost in a fog of fear” (Wright 7). This means that from the ineffable beatings from his parents, Richard was having severe flashbacks, affecting his mental health. In conclusion, the beatings from his parents has caused Richard to get harsh flashbacks. The second incident is after Richard’s provocative uncle, Uncle Tom, moves in with him. Richard is indicted for being “smart” with his uncle and is about to get a beating because of this. As Richard hears his uncle’s footsteps down the hall, he becomes weak, “I …show more content…

He started off the school year badly, “I grew silent and reserved as the nature of the world in which I lived became plain and undeniable; the bleakness of the future affected my will to study” (Wright 164). This means that after going through a difficult summer, filled with the continuous search for jobs, abuse, and hate crimes, it starting to take a toll on Richard’s health mentally. It is almost like he is suffering depression because he seeing the world in a sadder view than before. Also, he is disenchanted with things he once loved, for example, school. In conclusion, because of Richard’s troublesome summer, he is slipping into a major

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