There are many valuable things in life, and one of the most significant is survival and sometimes one must fight to survive. Throughout the novel, Black Boy, by Richard Wright, fighting and violence are just a part of the main character, Richard’s, life. This novel is Richard Wright’s autobiography, which covers his childhood and early adulthood. Wright opens up about all his young rebellious actions and describes just how quickly he was torn away from the innocence of childhood at a very early age. Throughout the novel, Wright describes the struggle of an African-American adolescent, he describes that they struggled not only for self-awareness but for existence was well, from oppression, mockery, and the hopelessness of a future devoid of
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Middle school is very difficult for Richard. He is pressured to fit in so he does what it takes, he fights, he steals, and he says bad things. He must do things to fit in, and one of those main things is to fight. He has to show everyone that he can stand up for himself and that no one can fight him before he is able to make friends. He had to prove to everyone that he was great. Wright describes a similar situation in his novel, “Knowing that if I did not win or make a good showing I would have to fight a new boy each day, I fought tigerishly, trying to leave a scar, seeking to draw blood as proof that I was not a coward, that I could take care of myself” (185). Richard believed he had to fight and hurt someone else to fit in. All around Richard people pressured him to either fight or they beat him, which messed with Richards self-esteem. He was constantly surrounded by people whom felt they could physically and emotional abuse him for any reason, this extends from his family members to strangers. School for Richard was basically a game of survival.This is described on page 101, “I spent my time playing with the boys and found that the only games they knew were brutal ones. They played a wildcat game called popping-the-whip, a seemingly innocent diversion whose excitement came only in spurts, but spurts that could hurl one to the edge of death itself” (Wright). Although it was a religious school it was …show more content…
Richard often questioned even going to school since it honestly did not even matter. Every time he went to school or started something new he was reminded that his life revolved around violence. This is described in the novel by Richard, “I knew that my life was revolving about a world that I had to encounter and fight when I grew up” (Wright 47). Although it seems Richard somewhat wants to leave violence behind he knows he will always have to fight for something. It seemed as if Richard grew up in an army house rather than a religious house. The very first time he used violence against someone else was toward his Uncle Tom, Richard pulled a razor blade on him when he tried to discipline him. Richard fought back and showed Tom that he cannot be intimidated (Wright 185). Richard was taught by his mother to stand up for himself. He fights his aunt, uncle, and grandmother to avoid any unfair
Middle school is very difficult for Richard. He is pressured to fit in so he does what it takes, he fights, he steals, and he says bad things. He must do things to fit in, and one of those main things is to fight. He has to show everyone that he can stand up for himself and that no one can fight him before he is able to make friends. He had to prove to everyone that he was great. Wright describes a similar situation in his novel, “Knowing that if I did not win or make a good showing I would have to fight a new boy each day, I fought tigerishly, trying to leave a scar, seeking to draw blood as proof that I was not a coward, that I could take care of myself” (185). Richard believed he had to fight and hurt someone else to fit in. All around Richard people pressured him to either fight or they beat him, which messed with Richards self-esteem. He was constantly surrounded by people whom felt they could physically and emotional abuse him for any reason, this extends from his family members to strangers. School for Richard was basically a game of survival.This is described on page 101, “I spent my time playing with the boys and found that the only games they knew were brutal ones. They played a wildcat game called popping-the-whip, a seemingly innocent diversion whose excitement came only in spurts, but spurts that could hurl one to the edge of death itself” (Wright). Although it was a religious school it was …show more content…
Richard often questioned even going to school since it honestly did not even matter. Every time he went to school or started something new he was reminded that his life revolved around violence. This is described in the novel by Richard, “I knew that my life was revolving about a world that I had to encounter and fight when I grew up” (Wright 47). Although it seems Richard somewhat wants to leave violence behind he knows he will always have to fight for something. It seemed as if Richard grew up in an army house rather than a religious house. The very first time he used violence against someone else was toward his Uncle Tom, Richard pulled a razor blade on him when he tried to discipline him. Richard fought back and showed Tom that he cannot be intimidated (Wright 185). Richard was taught by his mother to stand up for himself. He fights his aunt, uncle, and grandmother to avoid any unfair