Black Boy
(Richard Wright)

Racism

Racism is obviously a central theme to this story, as it is a central theme to the life of Richard Wright. In the early-mid 1900’s life for blacks was riddled with suffering, conflict, and disrespect, especially in the southern states.

Wright did not understand the difference between blacks and whites when he was younger and did not understand the tension until he got older and saw the pain and, oftentimes, death that was inflicted upon the black community by the white oppressors.

Wright often heard stories from classmates and neighbors which all became real to him when his friend’s brother was killed by white people and so was his uncle Hoskins.

Oppression

Oppression occurred between a couple different groups of people throughout the novel. There is the obvious oppression of the white community over the black community, but then there is the oppression within the black community, as well.

Richard is ridiculed and discriminated against for his intellectualism and desire to write by his family members, neighbors, classmates, and eventually his Communist allies. It is not only the “superior” white race that holds the black people back, but those who are oppressed take it one step further and try to hold back those who wish to make moves to have a better life, like Richard.

Self-Defense

For Richard, self-defense was a part of his everyday life. Richard was always fighting against someone to be himself, express himself, and better himself. He started getting in fights to keep himself from being mugged, and then to earn the respect of classmates who would ridicule him otherwise and also to prevent himself from being beaten by his family members.

Richard had been beaten so badly by his mother once that he went unconscious and developed a severe fever. Richard fought and clawed his way through everything in life, all in an attempt to accomplish the goals that everyone deemed pointless.

Pride

Richard’s pride is the one thing he always tried to hold on to, despite the fact that he lost many things over the course of his poverty stricken youth. Richard would never back down from a fight, would continue to reach for the stars and chase his dreams no matter no much resistance he encountered, and would never take a handout from anyone.

Richard realized a little later in his life that everyone needs a handout sometimes, especially in the tough economic climate during the Great Depression. He was forced to swallow his pride in order to save himself and his family, though he continued to stand for what he believed in.

Politics

Richard never gave much thought to politics as a youth, but, when he began reading various newspapers, and essays he gave a lot of thought to socialism and the changes that certain political stances could make. When Richard was introduced to the Communist party, he finally began to believe that equality was attainable, and the oppressed masses could group together and accomplish something remarkable in terms of socialization. Eventually it was the cultlike politics of the Communist party that forced Richard to search for another avenue of broadcasting his message.

Independence

When Richard was growing up the one thing he wished for more than anything in the world was independence. He always had to answer to someone and felt trapped by other people’s shallow and simplistic morals, values, and rules. Even when Richard got away from his family he was trapped by his poverty and the discrimination he faced in everyday life.

In Chicago, Richard finally felt free to express himself, though, after a while, he felt as if his actions and writing were dictated and directed by the Communist party. Richard realized that equality will take longer to achieve, and, while he has freedom, he does not necessarily have independence.

The Power of Art

Art, in the form of writing and literature for Richard, is instrumental in his ambitions and motivations. Richard becomes immersed in the stories he hears about and reads himself, thirsting for knowledge in any form he can find it.

Richard’s love for the art of writing is what drove him to always reach for a higher station in life and to find a place where he would be accepted. When Richard moves to Chicago and joins the John Reed Club he is surrounded by people who appreciate art as much as he does, though it is not always embraced by the oppressors.

Determination

Richard is always determined to do bigger and better things than those around him believe him capable of. He spends his entire life waiting for the moment when he can take the reins and move in his own direction.

It is Richard’s determination that keeps him out of trouble with the law, earns him the sympathy of certain northerners, and keeps him focused. Richard muses in his writing that he had known it would be so hard to become a writer he would never have pushed forward. This surely is not true because his determination would never have allowed him to fail.

Violence

Violence is prominent in this story, especially in the southern states. Richard is often beaten by his relatives, though after his mother encourages him to fight against those who are attacking him, he becomes quite vicious himself.

Richard is no stranger to threatening his Aunt Addie with knives or his Uncle Tom with razor blades and whenever entering a new school Richard would get in a fight to earn the respect of his peers. There is plenty of violence against black people at the hands of white people, much of it resulting in death. In Richard’s world violence was a means to self-preservation.

Hope

The one thing that always held Richard together, especially at the end of the story when he was harassed and ostracized by the Communists was his hope for a better future. Richard was always reaching for something better in his life, hoping that one day he would find it. He becomes a strong advocate for equality between the races and the uprising of the oppressed masses.

Richard’s hope for peace in the world and to influence people’s opinions through his writing is what kept him holding on through all of the suffering he endured.