Violence:
Violence is very common in black boy. Richard experiences violence in his early and late years. Richard was beaten a lot of time by his mother and grandmother for misbehaving.When Richard was young, he was taught by his mother to stand up for himself. He was being tormented by a group of boys and they would steal his money."'Take this money, this note, and this stick,'" she said. "'Go to the store and buy those groceries. If those boys bother you, then fight.'" (Black Boy, 206). This is how Richard first encountered violence in fighting back. Violence is very important to his life because that's how he survives. He fights the boys in school to be accepted. He fights his aunt, uncle, and grandmother to avoid unfair beating.(Esther) |
Racism:
Racism is a term used when one group is superior to the other. In Black Boy, Richard Wright faces a lot of racism throughout his life. He has been put down and humiliated by the whites. When he got a job and the woman asked him what he wanted to be, he said a writer and the woman said "' who put that idea into your nigger head.'" (Black Boy, 147). This is when Richard encounters racism. This is important to his life because he sees it everyday. Just because he is black, he can't accomplish or succeed in anything. There's racism when he gets a job and when he has to fight for money. So it's a part of his life and it teaches him what to do and say and what not to do and say.(Chaina) |
Education
Education is very important in life. Without it, people will not amount to something good in life. Education appears a lot in Black Boy as Richard wants to go to school, read, and write. In chapter 13, he talks about how he wants to read books and see things around him in a different way. It states, "Now it surged up again and I hungered for books, new ways of looking and seeing." (Black Boy, 249). Richard not only wants to read and write, but he also want to learn more about the world around him.(Lourdes) |