Throughout the book Black Boy, the main character, Richard gains more independence as he grows older. This is shown through Wright's narrative style. Richard finds himself struggling to find his place in the world. However he finds that writing seems to make him realize who he really is and it allows him to explore new ideas and expand his imagination. Nethertheless independent and growing, Richard finds that race, religion, and family contribute to form his growth of independence.
Throughout Richards life he yearns for a loving family to help and encourage him, but his family in a way, help to form his independence. As a child Richard faced the need to be independent, due to the fact that Richards father despised him. Richard's father even decides to abandon the family due to wanting to pursue a new family with the women he had an affair with. Due to the financial issues Richards parents face each other in court , leaving Richard to expect his father to be ashamed but his …show more content…
Wright first shows the reader what Richard faces at the beginning of the novel where Richard is "lashed so long and hard I lost consciousness. I was beaten out of my senses and later found myself in bed, screaming, determined to run away. I was lost in a fog of fear"(). This to the reader is shocking and disturbing but yet signals to the reader that there is more violence to come throughout the book. With his "gang" Richard in order to fit in he must fight. On the other hand during school his aunt Addie beats him, in front of his schoolmates in order to humiliate him. He chooses to stand against her actions and threatens her with a knife. This proves that Richard is an independent person, because he would have instead been shattered by the accusations made by his Aunt. This also relates to the time where he threatens Uncle Tom with a razor blade. Throughout Richard's whole life, he had to fight with people to gain his sense of independence
Throughout Richards life he yearns for a loving family to help and encourage him, but his family in a way, help to form his independence. As a child Richard faced the need to be independent, due to the fact that Richards father despised him. Richard's father even decides to abandon the family due to wanting to pursue a new family with the women he had an affair with. Due to the financial issues Richards parents face each other in court , leaving Richard to expect his father to be ashamed but his …show more content…
Wright first shows the reader what Richard faces at the beginning of the novel where Richard is "lashed so long and hard I lost consciousness. I was beaten out of my senses and later found myself in bed, screaming, determined to run away. I was lost in a fog of fear"(). This to the reader is shocking and disturbing but yet signals to the reader that there is more violence to come throughout the book. With his "gang" Richard in order to fit in he must fight. On the other hand during school his aunt Addie beats him, in front of his schoolmates in order to humiliate him. He chooses to stand against her actions and threatens her with a knife. This proves that Richard is an independent person, because he would have instead been shattered by the accusations made by his Aunt. This also relates to the time where he threatens Uncle Tom with a razor blade. Throughout Richard's whole life, he had to fight with people to gain his sense of independence