What Are The Similarities Between Black Boy And A Lesson Before Dying

The civil rights era was a time period of wanting and fighting for change and equal rights for whites and blacks to live together as one. There were things that still separated them including segregation, black laws, and white people being uncomfortable living together with African Americans after slavery has ended. In Black Boy by Richard Wright, and A Lesson Before Dying by Erness J. Gaines, these books show the differences and similarities the narrators a black boy and a black educated man go through and how they were treated in the 1912’s-1950’s while being males of color, living in the south. Richard the narrator of Black Boy and Grant the narrator of A Lesson Before Dying go through many points of their lives experiencing moments of

Not just them being physically alike with their dark skin and being both males, they are also dealing with boredom, hate and racism on the daily. Grant and Richard and both educated, don't enjoy their home lives, and want to move towns. Living in the south as a black person isn't the best during this time period having to deal with racism and being told things you know aren’t true just because of their skin color. Richard is just trying his best to educate himself so he can be a writer but people put things in his head saying stuff like “You’ll never be a writer, who dares put those ideas in your head.” (Wright 147) Richard luckily did not listen to those words and knows he can be what he wants and not to listen to people who just want him to fail. Grant experiences racism when he goes to Henri's house for the first time and enters through the back door with his Aunts. (Gaines 18) This is showing racism through taught acts by black people from white people. Since Grant knows he's not welcomed through the front door as a black

(Wright 22-23) After learning to read and his mom being proud and encouraging him, Richard goes off to school to educate himself even more. Richard also lives with his mom and brother in Mississippi, then with his grandma too in Jackson, Mississippi, and eventually getting all the way to his Aunt's house in Arkansas. (Wright 36/46) All this moving around as a young child made Richard a bit troubled in his childhood and often not knowing how to deal with his emotions in life. Richard doesnt have a father figure to look up to in his life since his dad left him, his mom, and brother. (Wright 15) Richard is also seen as not worthy by his father because he's just a boy, with his dad telling him things like “Get out of my eyes before I smack you down”. (Wright 12) Also seen as not worthy by white people since he's black. This resulted in Richard being used by white people for entertainment in bars with Richard saying “I took a sip and coughed, the men and women laughed. The entire crowd in the saloon gathered about me.” (Wright 20) He was young and didn’t know better and he loved the attention because he lacked it at home. Richards was just a boy, struggling to find himself, and learn to deal with his