The Theme Of Prejudice In Richard Wright's Black Boy

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During the 1920’s, one million African Americans moved north in hope of seeking a better life. However, it is unimaginable to do so at the age of 18, having to raise enough money to move and provide for your family. In the story, Black Boy, by Richard Wright, Richard overcomes a series of obstacles in a prejudice, southern environment. Richard lived in a predominately black community and was left in awe when he had first been exposed to racism. He is persecuted and chastised for his ethnicity and skin color, making it extremely hard for him to succeed. As he matures into adulthood, his mother is left paralyzed on the left side of her body. Because of this, Richard must fend and provide for himself as well as his mother and brother. Richard One afternoon his mother gave him money to purchase groceries from the market at the corner of the street. A gang of boys spotted Ricard with money in his hand. They saw him as an easy target and repeatedly beat him, stealing his money. Despite this, his mother would not allow Richard to set foot in the house until he had the groceries. She just gave him more money and sent him off again to buy groceries for the family. Richard, fearful that the boys will injure him, grabs a wooden stick as a weapon for self defense. The boys hastily confront Richard only to be brutally beaten by his wooden stick. For the first time in his life, Richard is prideful and joyful of such an accomplishment. However, he is fearful that he will be beaten in the future, causing Richard to act differently around his peers and engage in violence. This fear affects Richard because he is not acting like himself around others. He is constantly worrying about survival, not quality of life. Next, Richard chooses not to eat breakfast with his employer. This puts Richard in an uncomfortable situation that he chooses not to engage in. He does not want to eat with the white employer because he is fearful that something terribly wrong will happen. Also, Richard feels as if he will be put into a trap and forced to say something unruly and hurtful. It is intelligent of Richard to to disengage from such situation. This is especially true because he does not repeatedly act white. Richard is chastised by his employers for acting in such way. For example “You think you’re white, don’t you? ... No, sir. You’re acting mighty like it” (188). This clearly shows that the opinions and actions of the south deeply affect Richard’s behavior. Richard’s confusion leads him to be fearful because he does not yet know where he fits in with society. Due to this fear, he is extremely cautious in the way

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