The Cultural Bribe Present In Richard Wright's Black Boy

The Cultural Bribe Present in Black Boy by Richard Wright Richard Wright is presented with many situations that challenge his perception of who he is and what he can become. Many of his decisions early on in his life conform to what was expected of him, but by reading and studying, he challenges the norms of the time, and sets himself apart from the average African American of the time. Although he never considered himself an intellectual, the people around him noticed, for better or for worse, and it affected the rest of his life. When he was young, living in the slumps of Memphis, he came under the influence of people and things which he would later realize, did him no good. Later in life he came to understand that it had conformed exactly to the profile society built for him.
“One summer afternoon - in my sixth year - while peering under the swinging doors of the neighborhood saloon, a black man caught hold of my arm and dragged …show more content…
The bribe of that time for African Americans is to act unintelligent, whether you are or aren’t, and always consider yourself under whites. Do this, and you get the benefit of fitting in, and not being beaten or worse. While living in the south, richard had no choice but to act accordingly in public, but he consistently read and tried to better his understanding of society. It would have been impossible for Richard Wright to have stayed in the south and have survived. He had learned to read, and he had taught himself to think like a scholar despite his race-oriented sunken place in society. With literacy, and intelligence far superior to any of his African American friends, he realized he could never be convinced to fall into given place in society as everyone one he knew fell into theirs. The cultural bribe for African Americans was an incredibly persuasive force, at that time because it was the only means of leading a somewhat secure