"Ragazzo Negro" Richard Wright - Summary And Analisys
Submitted by freefortermpapers on 06/24/2008 03:00 PM
- Category: American History
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"Ragazzo Negro" Richard Wright - Summary And Analisys
Richard Wright BLACK BOY (1945)
Black Boy is an autobiography of Richard Wright. The novel covers his life from the age of about four to the train ride Richard makes from Memphis to Chicago. Wright tells how, during his childhood, he deals with the relationships between himself and whites and himself and his other family members.
Richard learns as he grows up, that to survive in the South, he must act and say things the way the South wants him to. Not only must he follow and respect his place as a black boy in a white society, but he must also keep his place in the black world of the South. Richard finds himself questioning events and traditions that others have accepted as true. Because of his inquiry, his actions are mostly seen as rebellious and troublesome. Richard states on the train ride to Arkansas, "My mother became very irritated when I questioned her about whites and blacks, and I could not understand it." He also faces problems with the idea of religion. Richard's grandmother, Granny, "an ardent member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church," made most of his childhood difficult because of their opposing views on the topic. While living with her, Richard felt "compelled to make a pretense of worshiping her God" when in fact he felt no need for religion in his life. These interactions with events in the South and crosses with ideas of others molds his life into thoughts to those of anger and revenge. When the book ends with his move to the North, Richard wonders if his view of things can be reversed or corrected in the North.
Richard spends most of his childhood days in Jackson, Mississippi, the home of Granny. Here is where most of the ideas and traditions affect him. Black Boy starts out at Granny's house (then moves to Natchez), where Richard accidentally burns the house down. He is beaten severely by his mother. Next, the family moves to Memphis. Richard is introduced to violence, hunger, alcohol, and...
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