Black Boy Character Analysis

When it comes to parenting, mothers put their kids first and sacrifice everything they can for them, whether it is giving them any bit of food they have or making sure their kids are happy even if they are suffering themselves. In the section “The Rights to the Streets of Memphis” of Richard Wrights autobiography Black Boy he shows the sacrifices his mother made for him and his brother. Since Richards father left him, his mother and brother. Mrs. Wright is forced to be away from her sons more, as well as harder on them in order for them to stay safe and no longer be miserable. Although she uses a harsh way of teaching her son a lesson and showing she cares, it was effective because in the end Richard becomes confident and defends for himself …show more content…
Wright tells Richard that he would have to do the grocery shopping from there on and takes him there so he is familiar on where to go. When Richard is to go to the grocery store on his own he gets robbed and beaten up by a gang of boys. Richard runs home and tells his mother expecting her to say something about the incident but instead she writes another list, gives him more money, and sends him off to get the groceries once more. As he is walking back to the store he notices the gang of boys and goes back to tell his mother but she tells him “You’ve got to get over that. Now, go on.”(115) After getting robbed once more she gives Richard a stick along with the list and money. She does this so he learns to face his fears and become stronger since she will not be by his side all the time to help him. At first Richard says he could not do it and he just wanted to stay in his home safe and sound, but Mrs. Wright would not allow him and she tells him “Go now! If you come back into this house without those groceries, I’ll whip you!” Saying this to her already scared and hurt son may have been really hard on her but if it meant that he would learn to defend himself she was willing to be aggressively persistent towards