Black Boy
(Richard Wright)

Richard is a hugely rambunctious child and he causes his parents much strife in his earlier years by setting fire to the house, killing a kitten, getting in fights, and not conforming to the religious views of some of his family members. Richard’s father leaves when Richard is a young boy and not long after his mother suffers from a stroke.

Richard, his mother, and his younger brother are forced to move around living with various relatives, at times being split up, because his mother cannot hold a steady job due to random strokes she experiences that keep her out of work. Richard takes several jobs but cannot make enough to support the entire family. Richard is extremely intelligent and spends a lot of time writing, though his family and peers do not understand his love for writing or why he would do it just for fun.

Richard graduates as valedictorian of his class, and he feels as though he must move north for the chance to make something of his life and to be around people who appreciate the knowledge and desire freedom as much as he does. When Richard finally moves to Chicago, he joins up with several groups of people he respects for their passion, even if he does not totally agree with their views. Richard becomes a part of the Communist Party and writes many essays for them.

Eventually Richard begins to disagree with their politics and the way they handle certain situations. As it became apparent that Richard no longer agreed with their position, the Communists beat Richard quite badly. Richard decided that it was time to leave the Communist party and concentrate on his writing.