Black boy by Richard Wright

Richard Wright’s autobiography, Black Child, tells the story of his life experiences. The plot delves into the difficulties that Richard, his girlfriend, and his brother face in their daily lives. Richard starts the plot by setting fire to his grandmother’s house in Mississippi. The incident leads to his punishment, in which his mother beats him unconscious. Following that, Richard, his brother, and their parents relocate to Memphis, where Nathan, Richard’s father, abandons his family to marry another woman. The family is unsettled and constantly moves from one location to another. Richard’s mother becomes ill after moving to Granny’s house and is unable to function. Richard is, therefore, forced to take some jobs to make some money for the family. He is determined to go north where he believes that racism is little and to do this, Richard takes some few jobs to save money so that he can head north. For instance, he works from a drug store to a hotel and finally to selling tickets at a movie house. Realizing that the dollars he is saving are not enough, Richard resorts to stealing so that he can make to Memphis fast. However, Aunt Maggie also comes to Memphis and Richard moves to Chicago with her.

Themes and Style

One of the major themes in the story, _x0091_Black Boy_x0092_ is racism (Wright 23). Richard narrates how the _x0091_white people_x0092_ because of their skin color discriminate against the _x0091_black people_x0092_. For instance, while at Memphis, Richard hears of a _x0091_black boy_x0092_ beaten by a _x0091_white_x0092_. A white man who wants to snatch his business also kills Uncle Hoskins. Additionally, while moving to Granny_x0092_s house with his mother, brother, and Aunt Maggie, Richard observes that the whites and blacks sit separately in the train. Social class is another theme in the novel _x0091_Black Boy_x0092_. For instance, Richard states that as he grows older, he realizes that the white families belong to a more privileged class and the black families serve them. Another major them in the novel _x0091_Black Boy_x0092_ by Richard is violence. After experiencing cruelty and violent treatment, mostly by his relatives, Richard adopts violence and begins engaging in fights both while at school and at home (Wright 25). At school, he fights a new boy each boy and leaves a scar on their bodies to prove that he is not a coward.

Moreover, the theme of isolation is also evident in the novel _x0091_Black Boy._x0092_ Despite his efforts to be friends with others, everyone leaving him feeling lonely rejects Richard. Additionally, there are variety stylistic devices adopted by Richard Wright in his novel_x0092_ Black Boy_x0092_. One of the styles used in the novel is irony. It is ironic for Richard_x0092_s father to tell Richard to kill the cat while in real sense meaning that the cat should be sent away. Symbolism is another stylistic device used in the novel _x0091_Black Boy_x0092_. The North symbolizes peace. For instance, Richard decides to head North in search for peace as he believes racism is not as much as it is in the south. While in Memphis, he encounters lesser incidences of racism as compared to those in the south. Some of the key quotes in Black Boy are, _x0093_I stood fighting, fighting as I had never fought in my life, fighting with myself (Wright 73). _x0093_If I stole, I would have a chance to head northward quickly; if I remained barely honest, piddling with pints of bootleg liquor, I merely prolonged my stay (Wright 132)._x0094_

Work cited

Wright, Richard. Black Boy (american Hunger): A Record of Childhood and Youth. New York, NY: HarperPerennial, 1993. Print.