Hunger In Richard Wright's Black Boy

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Never Ending Hunger In Black Boy by Richard Wright, Wright exemplified his hunger for acceptance, understanding of the world around him, and knowledge. Wright had many hunger pangs throughout his life. No matter how many times they were fed the persistent pain would always remain. Wright’s struggle with hunger for acceptance started with in his family. His family was not able to provide love, security, and acceptance. Because of his family’s lack of care many problems arose. His family problems were epitomized during his struggles with Aunt Addie. The altercations with Aunt Addie resulted in her refusing to speak with Wright. “[He] was conscious that she had descended to [his] emotional level in order to rule [him], and [his] respect for …show more content…

This hunger started growing at young age when his first real bite of knowledge came from a schoolteacher named Ella who told a story that made, “[his] imagination [blaze]. The sensation the story aroused in [him] were to never leave [him]” (Wright 39). This sensation furthered his existing curiosity helping him realize his love for literature. His hunger for knowledge was immense but never allotted the opportunity for a decent education. The instability at home forced him to be educated on the streets. There he discovered a new language with more cuss words, learned to put on a mask of indifference, and taught to fight. When able to attend public school Wright ate very little wanting to spend the extra time learning. He thought, “To starve in order to learn about [his] environment was irrational, but so were [his] hungers”(Wright 177). In spite of Wrights poor education he always continued to learn. After he graduated, Wright was able to feed his hunger by borrowing a library card and checking out books frequently. “ They made [him] see what was possible, what [he] had missed” (Wright 251). His new understandings of the world intensified his desire for a better life, and forced him to question himself. And still, “a vague hunger would come over [him] for books, books that opened up a new avenue of feeling and seeing” (Wright

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