RACISM AND OPPRESSION IN BLACK AMERICAN

LITERATURE: AN EXAMPLE OF RICHARD WRIGHTS

BLACK BOY

ARIJE YETUNDE UMULKHULSUM

07/15CD056

AN ESSAY SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE BACHELOR OF
ARTS DEGREE IN ENGLISH

TO

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF ARTS,

UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN

MAY, 2011

DEDICATION
This essay is dedicated to Almighty Allah, my creator and provider who has been
my ever present pillar of strength. I also dedicate it to my parents of inestimable
value, Alhaji and Alhaja Arije. May Almighty Allah bless you continuously in all
your endeavours.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have every reason to give thanks to Almighty Allah for his love, guidance,
protection, through out my four years in Better by Far (Unilorin).
I am specially greatful to my able, dynamic, motherly supervisor, Dr. Mrs. B.F
Ibrahim for her constructive efforts, encouragement and contribution to the
realization of this essay. May Almighty Allah continue to reward you bountifully.
To my wonderful ever dynamic parents, Alhaji and Alhaja Arije, you are the best.
I could not have wished for better parents. Thanks for your support, morally and
financially. I pray you live long to reap the fruit of your labour.
I also want to acknowledge the inestimable love and efforts of my siblings,
Kikelomo Ajibowo and her husband, Wasiu Ajibowo, Jumoke Ajiboye and her
husband, Segun Ajiboye, Dr. Lateefat Arije, Temitope Laaro and her husband,
Taiwo Laaro, Yomi Arije and Garfar Arije. You are worth more than silver or
gold. Thanks for your support morally and financially. And also to my three little
nieces (my tweenies) Iman, Kehara and Faiza. I will forever love you.
Also worthy of commendation is the love and support of my aunties, uncles,
cousins, nieces, nephews. To them, I want to say a big thank you.
3

I also want to acknowledge the love and support of my friends, Tomi, Kola,
Yemi, Bukky, Ilerioluwa, Shukurah, Biola, Susan, Feyi, Toyosi, Wura, Lynda,
Kafilat, Zeenat, Khalid, Lere, Wale and Omololu. I love u all.
To the happening babes and guys of English Department, 2011 set, I will forever
miss you guys. I love you.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page

Certification

ii

Dedication

iii

Acknowledgement

iv

Table of content

Abstract

vi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

1.2 Richard Wrights Autobiography

1.3 Purpose of Study

1.4 Scope and Limitation

1.5 Justification

1.6 Methodology

Endnotes

10

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

11

2.2 Related Slaves Narratives as Racial and Oppression Evidences

17

2.3 Black Americans Struggle for Cultural Identity and Self Image 21
2.4 Wrights Attitude Towards the White and Black Worlds

24

Endnotes

26

CHAPTER THREE
RACISM AND OPPRESSION IN BLACK AMERICAN
LITERATURE: AN EXAMPLE OF RICHARD WRIGHTS
BLACK BOY
3.1 Poverty and Hunger

27

3.2 Dehumanization

29

3.3 Social Insecurity

31

3.4 Disharmony

32
6

3.5 Rejection and Ejection

35

3.6 Physical and Sexual Assault

37

3.7 Reaction of the Characters to Racism and Oppression

38

3.7.1 Radicalism

38

3.7.2 Intellectualism

39

3.7.3 Violence

40

3.7.4 Religious Undertone

41

CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1 Summary

44

4.2 Conclusion

46

Bibliography

47

ABSTRACT
It is known fact that racism and oppression are one of the major issues in
Black American literature. This study will attempt to make readers realize these
themes in Richard Wrights Black Boy by analyzing the concept of racial
segregation of Black in America. We will examine the historical perspective of
Black writing narrative and the effects of racism and oppression, which include
poverty, hunger assault etc. and the ways through which the blacks reacted to
racism. We can claim that Black American literature was written to oppose
racism and oppression in all ramifications and also to gain self pride and identity.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Racism in literary studies is defined by Wikipedia as the belief the of genetic
factors which constitute race, are the primary determinants of human traits and
capacities and that racial differences produces an inherent superiority of a
particular race. Racism effects are called racial discrimination. Although the term
racism usually denotes race based on prejudice, violence, dislike, discrimination or
oppression. Racism is also defined simply as a reflection of the economic system
and its cultural, ethnic and political ways. The concept of racism is derived from
the word race and it is believed that one racial or ethnic group is inferior to another
and the unequal treatment is therefore justified.
According to Charles V. Hamilton and Kwame Ture they defined racism as
A prediction of decision and policies on consideration
of race for the purpose of subordinating a racial group
and maintaining control over that group.

On the other hand, oppression is defined by the encyclopedia as torture or

degrading treatment and the use of threat or violence. It is also the exercise of
power/authority in a burden, cruel or unjust manner. Oppression is also defined by
Wikipedia as an act or instance of oppressing the state of being oppressed and the
feeling of being heavily burdened; mentally or physically by troubles adverse
conditions and anxiety.
It is this experience of Black Slaves that Richard Wright tries to capture in
BlackBoy (1945). In the text, Wright recalls the plight of the Africans that were
sold into slavery between the early 1700s and 1860s through the convenience of
their own fellow Africans. They were transplanted to American, Canada, the
Caribbean Island and other parts of the world. The Africans taken into America
were now referred to as Black Americans while those on the Caribbean Island
are called Afro Caribbean but they all have a common roots and common
problem- Racial Discrimination. The Africans faced a great ordeal trying to survive
hardship on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean on arrival to America; they
were conscripted into force labour, maltreated, abused and demoralized on the
cotton fields and plantation where they were put to work as slaves. As a result of
this hardship deprivation and degradation, the blacks began expressing themselves
10

through Negro spirituals which marked the beginning of the artistic expressions of
the emotion. They told stories of unpleasant experience of slavery and oppression
through pamphlet and short stories, which formed the basic of Black writings and
which were later referred to as Slave Narrative or secret text because they
were written without the knowledge of the slave owners. This inhuman trade led to
the transportation of Africans to American to work as slave on the plantation where
they experienced unimaginable oppression from the white owner. Many youth are
ignorant of this fact and see American as a peaceful place and a bed of roses.
The project therefore sets out to trace the origin of racism in America and try
to expose the horrible experience that the black slaves went through. The
experiences of the blacks recounted by Richard Wright in BlackBoy will therefore
by analysed to expose the themes of racism and oppression as aspect of the
American society.

11

1.2

RICHARD WRIGHTS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Richard Wright, the grand son of slaves was born in Natchez Mississippi on

4th of September 1908. His father deserted the family in 1914. When Richard was
ten years old, his mother had a paralytic shock. The family was extremely poor.
After a brief education, he was forced to seek employment in other to support his
mother. He had a difficult childhood which was characterized by hopelessness,
insecurity and hunger as portrayed in his autobiography Novel, BlackBoy. Wright
worked in a series of menial jobs in Memphis. He wanted to continue his education
by using the local library but Jim Crow laws prevented this. Richard Wright solved
this by pretending he was collecting a book for a white man.
After passing a civil service exam, Wright find a job as a post office clerk.
When the wall street crash and the beginning of depression was over, Wright lost
his job for a period. He found employment with the Negro Burial Society but that
came to an end in 1931 and he was forced to go on relief after several jobs, the
relief office found his work with the Federal Writer Project. This enabled him to
publish his story Superstition in the Magazine Abbots Monthly.

12

In 1932, Wright began attending meeting of the literary group at the John
Reed Club he meets several Marxist at the club and later in the year, he joined the
American Communist Party. His poems, short stories and essays are accepted by
various left using journal including the new masses and international literature, his
poem Between The World And Me and a short story BigBoy Leaves Home were
both based on the lunching of a black man that he had witnessed when he was a
child.
In May 1937, Wright moved to New York where he became Harlem editor
of the daily worker and a new literary quarterly new challenge. The following year,
a collection of short stories about racism in the United States titled Uncle Toms
Chicken was publish and Wright announced that all royalties would be used to help
to pay the appeal cost of Earl Browder, the general secretary of the American
Communist Party who had been sentenced to four years in prison for misusing a
passport.
The publisher accepted Wrights novel, Native Son in 1940. The book of the
mouth club selected the novel as its March selection, therefore, ensuring large sales
and publicity. Over a quarter of a million copies were sold within four weeks,
making it the fastest selling large novel in twenty years. Wrights next book,
13

Twelve million Black Voices (1941) was a sociological study of black migration
from the rural south to the urban north. By 1944, Wright left the American
Communist Party and published an article in the Atlantic Monthly titled The God
that Failed, his short novel, The Man Who Lived Underground appeared in 1944.
Wrights powerful autobiography and our main concentration in the project,
BlackBoy is a record of childhood and youth which was published in 1945. After
then, there was a wave of great hostility towards black writers, so Richard Wright
fled to Paris. In 1953, Wright published The Outsider and in 1954 Savage Holding
was published, when he traveled to Ghana he wrote about his experience in Black
power (1954). This was followed by a collection of essays. White listen (1957),
The psychological reaction of the oppressed people and the literature of the Negro
in the United States.
Wright final novel, The Long Dream was published in 1958. He died of a
heart attack in Paris on 28th November 1960. Richard Wright was indeed a true
voice of the Black Americans, every bit of his literary works sought to bring an end
to physical and psychological oppression and also abolish racism and oppression.

14

1.3

PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to create an awareness of racism and oppression

using the personal experience of Richard Wright in his autobiography BlackBoy.

This essay concentrates on the theme of racism and oppression in Black
American literature. Our intention is to show that racism and oppression indeed is a
prominent theme in BlackBoy especially because the book was written during the
Jim Crow era at a point where racism was very prominent in the American society.
It also looks at the personal understanding of the Blackmans point of view
and his situation. Examples of racism and oppression are cited in BlackBoy. This
project exposes how racism and oppression affects the mentality and the way of
living of the Black race, reducing them to a level of inferiority, in every aspect of
their lives.
1.4

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

Our scope and limitation is on the theme of racism and oppression in

BlackBoy by Richard Wright so as to prevent the project from being untidy and
ambiguous in nature. From intense research we believe that BlackBoy, an eye
witness account is accurate enough to fully express the terms of racial segregation
15

and oppression because it has made a strong impact on American literature with its
strong commentary on the cultural, political, racial and social issues going on
during the period of 20th century racism.
The very title of the book BlackBoy already gives us an idea of our
thematic discussion because he uses the term Black in the title to emphasize the
fundamental racial facts of his life (the author Richard Wright); the black against
the white. Black race subordinate to the white race which is the main and only
scope and limitation.
1.5

JUSTIFICATION
Many works have been carried out on Black American literature majorly

focusing on self identity and racism. For example Babalola (1992) The concept of
racism and crisis of self identity in James Baldwins Go Tell it on the Mountain
(1954) and George Lammings Water with Berries (1972) focused on aspect of
racism. Both novels highlighted the concept of self identity. The present study will
be different from the works mentioned above. It will shed more light on oppression
experienced by the Africans using Richard Wrights autobiographical novel
{BlackBoy}.
16

1.6

METHODOLOGY
The methodology used in this project is a Carl Jung (1952) psychological

approach in literature. It is believed that this approach will best expose the inner
mind and psychological torture of the Black American characters in Black Boy.
Oppression and Racism are better analysed, examined and portrayed through the
workings of the intellectual thinking of those affected. This approach is the only
approach that has helped to review visual and close insight of confrontations and
conflicts between the Blacks and the Whites. Concentration is placed on the major
character which serves as the representative character for the Blacks. Through his
life experience, we can deduce the predicament of the Black Americans in South
Africa.

17

END NOTES
Http://wikipedia.org.racism on 29th March, 2011.
http://wikipedia.org. Wright life and background on 29th March, 2011
Wright, Richard (1945) BlackBoy. New York: Harper and Row
Abramson, D.E (1950). Negro playwright in the American Theater. New York:
Yale Press
Adewoye, S.A (1988). The Essentials of literature Ibadan: Paper back publishers
limited.
Balogun, J (2009), ENG 413 Note Caribbean and Afro-American literature
(unpublished), University of Ilorin.

18

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This chapter reviews materials relevant to this research and also shed more
light in the circumstances that brought the black to the unfriendly society in which
the found themselves today. Slave trade is as terrible as hell. One needs to consider
the fact that people were packed like sardines in the most inhuman condition
possible to another mans land against their wished. According to Lewis Nkosi
(1965:102)
The Negro had never forgotten that he has not come
to America like

other emigrates who came out of

their own free will, looking for fame and fortunes.

The Negro was wrenched from his homeland and
carried into slavery in the most shameful way
possible1
It is also in this view that one of the renaissance writers named Claude Mckay in
his poem To the white friends writes

19

My eyes grew dim and I could no No more

gaze; A wave of longing Though my body swept;
and hungry For the aid familiar ways, I Turned
aside and bowed my head and wept2
The above quoted lines could be said to be a song of sorrow expressing
the oppression, agonies of the blacks inherent in the fact that they were brutally
transplanted into the Americans, cutting them from their origin and their
fatherland, home and culture and planted into the land of hostile weather and
people. The white man shows no remorse for ruefully taking blacks in slavery.
They even justified their humiliation and exploitation of the blacks. One of the
renaissance essayist and white, James Baldwin says;
When I was growing up, Negroes in this
country were taught to be ashamed of Africa.
They were taught bluntly, as I was, for example,
by being told that Africa had never contributed
anything to civilization3
The hostility and oppression coming from the whites to the blacks was great
and its effects are felt in barely all aspects of their life. According to Carl Senna
(1971:8)
20

In Wrights boyhood, there was virtually no

chance for a personality such as his to develop
freely. Everything conspired against personal
freedom.. Black children must never strive to
be more than the white children, if they do, not
only will they suffer terrible fate but their
families will as well4
Richard Wright is a black writer that belonged to the category of writers
labeled protest writers. This school gained prominence in the 30s, following the
period of Harlem renaissance of the twenties. In a poll conducted by the Negro
digest, Richard Wright was voted the most important black writer. He is a prolific
writer of uncommon literary prowess. According to Donald B. Gibson (1773:15);
Richard Wright, coming as he did out of the
thirties has conveyed to the black writes,
something of the spirit of dissent, a dissent
strident, vigorous and unapologetic in his
expression5.
The BlackBoy is Wrights autobiography. It was written while Wright was
still a communist. The BlackBoy expresses the same communist ideology. The

21

BlackBoy is a bestseller and it was voted the most successful work of Mr. Wright.
According to a Spanish writer, Unamuno
It was the tragic sense of life; that is, it is more
than a record of personal abuses. In the
BlackBoy the protest is both personal and
metaphysical a cry of anguish in the face of
human conditions6.
The BlackBoy expresses the early and most part of Wrights life. The book
was written when Wright was still a communist. It revealed his Marxist ideologies
when carrying on literary critique on The BlackBoy it must be treated separately
from other books by the author which was written after he ceased being a Marxist.
Though, it is possible that Richard Wrights out look might not be completely
changed from when he was in the communist party. It is sill necessary to put into
cognizance the change in his political life while treating other books of his.
According to Ralph Ellison (1953:9)
The BlackBoy is the song that follows the
reality of pure tragedy and creates arts from the
pain of suffering as a form, the blues is an
autobiographical

chronide
22

of

personal

catastrophe expressed lyrically. There could be

no better way to describe The BlackBoy 7.
Richard Wrights influence on the current Black writing is very powerful
because he fathered our tradition. The Negro protest novel helped to establish a
new one, an exploration of naturalism using the American Negro as his subject.
The BlackBoy is the most poignant and artistically successful novel. In it, the
ethics of living in the south are discussed to their very ends.
Richard Wright exposes all the racial problems the blacks are facing in
America. Every other writer before, around and after him make protest pronounced
in their works. It is in this view that Lerone Bennett (1988:117)
We must admit that all people are created
equal, we must also admit that love and caring is
right; whether between blacks and white,
Spanish or Orientals. All of us are human and
created by God 8
All what led to this protest was the birth of black American literatures which
started in form of slave narratives. Before 1865, when the American civil war
ended, it was against the law to educate a slave. Hence, the African salves did not
have access to education by law. However, some slaves tricked their owners
23

children into teaching them how to read and write. In addition, few slaves were
lucky because their master believed in educating them. Fredrick Douglass recounts
how he was able to learn to read and write in his 1845 narrative
By the time my little master Thomas had gone
to school and learned how to write these had
been brought home and shown to our neighbours
and then laid aside. I used to spend time in
writing in the spaces left in Master Thomas
copy book, coping all he had written. I
continued this until I could write a hand similar
to that of Master Thomas. Thus, after a long
tedious effort for years, I finally knew how to
write 9.
Fredricks narrative portrays how hard it was for the black slaves to learn
and even when they did, it was in secrecy for fear of being caught and punished.
Their lack of formal educational attainment gave their narratives a strong, rough,
hewed truth. By the early 1800s black American literature appeared in a number
of literary forms. Coincidentally, the white abolitionist encouraged the writings and
publication of slave narratives.

24

In 1837, the white abolitionist trained the blacks in the technique of speech and
they were told to present their stories to the audience.
2.2

RELATED SLAVE NARRATIVES AS RACIAL AND OPPERESSION

EVIDENCES
Originally, America was the first home of blacks. The reason for this is

obvious. It is because America was the first deport of human trafficking. However,
there was a strong spillage of the descendants of the slaves in either parts of the
world especially the Caribbean island. In narratives, the unhealthy relationship
between the slaves and their white masters is the focus. This relationship is
symbolized in alienation, transplantation, oppression and the gross influence of
slavery.
The earliest writing were termed Slave Narrative, whether they were
derogatorily named or not; the truth in these text became the initial source of what
became African American literature. As the slaves emerged in America, they had
pockets of texts, which though situated in different setting had common form and
content. The reason for this was because the black had a common experience of

25

slavery. These writing are commonly termed in literature circle as Afro American
or the latest trend; African American Narratives
1. Initial Afro American Narrative
2. The Latter Afro American Narratives
The initial narratives are the earliest written records of the slaves about their
abduction as slaves to an alien setting. These are writing meant to give account of
their suffering in the Atlantic about the slave ship and their final inhuman
experience in their final destination. Major issues in these narratives were
concerned with an assertion of their roots, culture and what made their meaningful
being. Prominent about these initial narratives are the autobiographical notes of an
African prince named James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw titled A Narrative of
the most remarkable particulars of the life of James Albert Gronnwsaw, an African
prince (1770). John Marrants narrative of the Lords wonderful dealings with John
Marrant (1785). Other narratives include a London based publication titled
Thought and Settlements on the evil and wicked traffic of the slavery and commas
of the human species by Ottabah Kugono (1785), an African preacher by John Jea
(1806)

26

The core and peripheral of these narratives are the same even is the titles,
year and authors appear different. As a matter of fact, these texts explored the same
thematic preoccupation, the clamour for the African root and the rejection of the
poor prevailing condition of living. The context of these writing affirmed that the
original home of the black slaves was Africa. In these narratives, there was
unreserved and unapologetic condition of the use of the word primitivism. Thus, a
significant features of these narratives id the outright rejection of slavery. Perhaps
the most dominant feature was the rejection of euro centrism and the clamour for
Afro centrism.
The post initial black narratives started with The Heroic Slave (1853), My
Bondage and Freedom (1855) both by Fredrick Douglass and Booker T.
Washingtons Up From Slavery (1904). They formed the literary canon for the
second phase. This phase opened a new chapter in the diasporic struggle of aliens
in America. Forming major characteristics in this new phase was the
acknowledgment and appreciation of the slaves who risked their lives to revolt
against slavery.
In 1841, the effect of this was soon realized as the slaves aboard, the ship
revolted and were subsequently fed by the British authority. This freedom became
27

a big tragedy to the American society. Fredrick Douglass The Heroic Slave (1853)
had the focus of an open and violent request for the abolition of slavery. This
narrative in particular emphasizes that slavery entails savory and glory tales and it
should be abolished. It strongly dwells on the ills of slavery.
A compliment of this development was the activities of a group called The
escape slaves technically referred to as the maroons out of the tribulation and
desperation, they escape the plantation. Prominent among their struggle strategies
was the use of Guerrilla warfare, ambush, cross fire, networking strike, withdrawal
and other revolutionary approaches unimaginable by the Americans. The reality of
the abolition of slavery was inevitably productive in these strategic plans embarked
upon by the maroons.
The central theme of this thesis is no longer the struggle of the blacks for
survival and rights to meaningful living, but also a more philosophical approach to
the struggle for emancipation, self determinism and cultural self identity. This led
to the emergence of modernism in black American literature.
The next subheading will focus on how the blacks fought for their self identity and
image.
28

2.3

BLACK AMERICANS STRUGGLE FOR CULTURAL IDENTITY

AND SELF IMAGE
The above topic pre-supposes that the struggle for cultural identity and self

image in America were hampered by some factors. These factors were internal and
external, internal because of the behaviour of the Africans themselves and external
because of the prevailing American powers. It is uncontrovertible that the black
Americans have been defined as Americans. Unfortunately, earlier in the history,
this has been an unwelcome truth to the Africans. Hence, there was intra-conflict in
them to reject this fact from their psyche. The reason for this is obvious; it includes
the negative and derogative image of Africa as portrayed by the whites. It is in the
view that James Baldwin, a renaissance essayist and writer says
When I was growing up, Negroes in the
country were taught to be ashamed of Africa.
They were taught it bluntly, as I was for
example, by being told that Africa never
contributed anything to civilization 10
The white men worked on the psychology of the black men by making them
believe they are inferior and also by symbolizing their black sin with bad, ugly
29

and hell. As such, the black men became afraid and ashamed of their skin colour.
It is in this view that Langston Hughes wrote in his manifesto, The Negro Artist
And The Racial Mountain (1926) :
The young Negro artist, who creates, now
intends to express our individual dark skinned
selves without fear or shame. If white people are
pleased, we are glad, if they are not, it does not
matter, we know we are beautiful and ugly too.
The tom-tom cries and the to-tom laughs. If
coloured people are pleased we are glad, is they
are not, their displeasure does not matter either
we build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we
know how and we stand on top of the mountain
free within ourselves 11
Langston tries to portray the African culture and tradition in negation to the
white mans belief. Black writers had to stand to encourage the blacks to regain
self confidence in themselves. Richard Wright, being a black writer was
unashamedly black and he thrived to propagate the idea that being a black does not
make one a second class citizen. Thus, his works generally centered on insightful

30

view on the lives of the blacks in American and how they were oppressed by the
superior power (white)
Wright felt the need to speak for his people with his tool- literature.
Therefore, in his works, he confronted racial discrimination, protested against the
social condition. He stressed the importance of racial consciousness and culture
nationalism. Absent of self hate that unite people of Africa descent, encouraging
pride in their own African culture. Wright was one of the few black writers to
champion racial consciousness as a source of inspiration for the black artists. He
treated issues that occurred in the slavery era, post slavery era, exposing the
relationship between the white and blacks.
Black Boy was written to expose the experience of the blacks. It also
exposes the agony and confusion of the slaves. In a nutshell, black American
responded to their humanity in a number of ways. The emergence of African
literature reflects the centrality of writing to the project of seeking freedom and
equality in the United States. Literature presented a way for the blacks to
demonstrate their artistic creation and imagination though in the 20th century,
African American literature has continued to be a means through which the
historical record and African culture are greatly represented.
31

2.4

WRIGHTS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WHITE AND BLACK

WORLDS
Richard Wright identified himself with his racial past wholeheartedly and to

this extent reflected the repercussion of the Harlem Renaissance. Wrights

background was characterized with a sense of powerlessness of the black towards
the white. He came to realize that the white were the superior ones who dictated
what happened in the black world. He goes against this by advocating for a sense
of cultural consciousness and nationalism among the blacks. For instance, Wright
argued in Black Boy (1945) for a moderate form of nationalism saying No
attempt is made to propagate a spacious and blatant nationalism. Psychologically,
this nationalism is reflected in a whole Negro culture. He raised a sense of
awareness among the black by telling other African American writers to revive
Negro culture and racial wisdom to their fellow blacks. Wrights reactions are
exhibited in his character, for example, Richard in Black Boy refused to accept the
superiority of the white.
Wrights reaction towards the black is love for the African culture and he
also feels disgust for Africans who have turned themselves into puppets in the
hands of the white. Wrights attitude towards the blacks world is also that of
32

resentment and disgust. Most of his character can be termed free-floating

outsider who have a fixation about the white world. In the world of Fishbelly, a
character in Wrights Long Dream (1950) he say I dont want to read nothing
about Africans. However, Wright depicts the white world as a cold and mean one
which offer the black nothing but expression in all forms. His characters do not
find peace in the white world as he termed it No mans land.
In conclusion, Wright tried to protest against all forms of racism and
oppression in his novel Black Boy and he advocated for his society where there is
social equality and egalitarian society where the blacks are give the same
advantages like the white.

33

ENDNOTES
Lewis, N (1965) Home and Exile and Other Selection; London and New York;
Longman Publishing Company
Carl Senna M. F.A (1971) Cliff Notes Oh Richard Wrights The Black Boy USA.
Ck.hilegass.
Donald B.G. ed (1973) Modern Black Poets A collection of critical essays;
London; Spectrum book
Ellison R. (1953) Richard Wrights Blues Antioch Review Anthology, ed; Paul
Bixler: New York: Word Publishing Company Ltd.
Douglass F. (1982) Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass; An African Slave,
New York: Penguin.

34

CHAPTER THREE
RACISM AND OPPRESSION IN BLACK AMERICAN LITERATURE:
AN EXAMPLE OF RICHARD WRIGHTS BLACK BOY
Introduction
This chapter focuses on how the theme of racism and violence are portrayed
in the selected text. The various forms of racism and oppression and their various
manifestations are identified and exemplified to show how Richard Wright has
handled them.
3.1

POVERTY AND HUNGER

The text highlights the poverty and hunger of the black character who are

economically

disempowered

by

the

deprivation

resulting

from

racial

discrimination. The blacks are deprived of the right to equal job opportunity.
Because they have no good jobs, they cannot afford good accommodation, food
and other basic necessities of life. The impact if racism is revealed to Wright in the
form of Hunger. Initially as a child, Richard does not understand racism. But soon,
he sees reasons to why he and his brother had to feed on the leftover of the white.

35

 Why could I not eat when I was hungry? Why

did I always have to wait until others were
through? I could not understand why some
people had enough food and others did not (p
26)
Thus, it is through hunger, poverty and general lack that he first becomes
acquainted with the realities of racism. Most times, Richard and his family had
nothing to eat because of the great extent of poverty. Hunger made Richard and his
mother move Aunty Maggies house in Arkansas. Here, Richard gets to eat more
because his uncle Hoskins owns a saloon that caters for hundreds of Negroes who
work in his environment. At meals time, there is much to eat that Richard himself
finds it hard to believe;
Can I eat all I want? Eat as much as you like
uncle Hoskins said I did not believe him then I
ate until my stomach hurt, but even then, I did
not want to get up from the table (p.59)
All this is not real to Richard when he compares his experiences of hunger to
the surplus in his Aunts house. So he usually hides some biscuit in his pocket. Just
36

in case he wakes up the next day and discovers there is no food in the house. He
had this belief because he had been brought up in a life filled with hunger and
starvation. This is justified when he says when I am with my mother, I wake up to
hunger standing beside me (p.62)
3.2 DEHUMANISATION
Wright and other black characters are treated by the whites as or even worse
than animals. Wright recounts how he lost his job on the basis that he called a
white man by name without adding Mr. to his name. The whites deny the blacks
what is considered a white mans job, thereby depriving them a means of
livelihood. Blacks are treated as animals even right from the time of slavery.
Richards Granny was named by her slave master:
What was Grannys name before she married
Grandpa? Bolden Who gave her that
name?

The white man who owned her.

(p.44)
This conversation between Richard and his mother makes him know that he
is actually a descendant of slaves. Another incident of this dehumanization is the
one Wright witnesses in his Grannys place. Black slaves are held together by iron
37

chains. Wright on seeing them mistakenly refers to them as elephants because of

the way they are held and bundled together.
As the strange animals came abreast of me, I
saw that the legs of the black animals were held
together by irons and that arms were linked with
heavy chains that clanked softly and musically
as they moved (P.49)
Richards mother explains to him that the elephants are slaves made to work.
Its just what you see, she said; A gang of men chained together and made to
work. (p.49). The blacks, even in Richards days are still used as slaves. They are
seen not just as slaves but also for amusement. Wright asserts that I suppose its
fun for white man to see niggers fight (p.260). He captures an incident where Mr.
Olin, one of the foremen in his office instigated a fight between him and Harrison,
another black boy. Mr. Olin promises the winner five dollars just for the two boys
to fight themselves while the whites watch them and laugh.
Shorty, a black boy who works in the same office with Wright once tells
Richard that he will do anything nasty just to get a quarter from the white men.
38

Shorty, to amuse the whites never hesitates to pole out his buttocks for them to
kick, shorty even goes to the extent of calling himself degrading names, But this
black son of a bitch sure needs a quarterthis monkey needs the peanuts (p.199200). Wright witnesses this a lot of times and says he feels no anger, just hatred,
wrath and disgust for the black race. To the white men, the blacks are more or less
animals and they treat them as such.
3.3

SOCIAL INSECURITY
The issues of social insecurity affects the life of Richard so much that he

turns into a drunkard at the tender age of six. The black are so insecure in the white
society as a result of violence, lynching, murders etc. As a child, Richard is taunted
and oppressed by the white kids who bully him. This insecurity make his mother
encourage him to fight by equipping him with a big stick to retaliate.
Uncle Hoskins is also killed by the white mob for no just cause. The whites
are envious of his thriving business, and so they come together to kill him. Neds
brother, Bob is also killed just because he flirts with a white prostitute. He is taken
to the country road and shot dead. Richard is also bitten by a white mans dog in
the plantation and given no cure.
39

All these examples shows that the blacks are not safe in the community,
even when they do not offend the white folks, they are accused of one thing or the
other and for this they face so many punishments.
3.4

DISHARMONY
Wright shows that there is disharmony not only in the black families but also

in between the blacks and the whites. It is easy to identify the causes of this. As the
challenges of living in a racist society rakes a toll on the blacks, there is more
disharmony. As the problems of racism assail the blacks, they become frustrated
and psychologically disturbed by lack, injustices, hunger, rejection etc., which
causes disorientation of the each individual life. For instance, Wrights father
cannot contain his frustration. Thus, he constantly takes out his anger on his wife
and kids. After his father deserts them, Wright and his brother go to live their
grandmother in Mississippi.
Richards Aunty Addie who is also his school teacher punishes him at
school out of her psychological frustration. She beats him at the slightest
provocation and Richard, also frustrated and rejected by his society attacks her too.

40

For a moment she hesitated, then she struck at

me with the switch and I dodge and stumbled
into a corner. She was upon me , lashing me
across the face. I leaped, screaming and ran past
her and jerked open the kitchen drawer; it spilled
to the floor with thunderous sound. I grabbed a
knife and held it ready for her. Now, I told
you to stop! I screamed. You put down that
knife Leave me alone or it cut you!
She stood debating. Then she made up her mind
and come at me. I lunged at her with the
knifewe crashed to the floor I but her hand
and we rolled, kicking, scratching, hutting,
fighting for our lives as though we were
strangers, enemies, fighting for our lives. (p.94)
Both of them, and so many others in that society caught in the web of racial
discrimination seize any opportunity to let out steam in order to relive themselves
of pent-up emotions. Therefore, the result is disaffection and disharmony among
family members and within the society.
Another instance of disharmony is seen in Uncle Toms case. Uncle Tom is
really frustrated because even though he is educated enough to be a teacher, he
41

ends up making chairs for the whites and he transfers his aggression to Richard
who is opportune to go to school.
What are you angry about? I asked I never
heard a sassier black imp than you in all my
life, he

spluttered. I swung my feet to the

floor so that I could watch him. What are you

talking about? I asked you asked me the time
and I told youshut up, he shouted or Ill
take my fist and ram it down your throat I
could hear his breath whistling in his throat; and
I knew he was furious (p.100)
Richard defies him by attacking Uncle Tom with razors, this makes his uncle
unable to go further with what he intended and predicts that Richard would never
amount to anything and that he would probably end up in the gallows one day.
These quarrels occur as a result of the ordeal of surviving and generally
coping with the problems of racial discrimination. Wrights family members are
frustrated in virtually all the areas of their lives. Thus, as a means of relieving
themselves, they take it out on each other.

42

3.5

REJECTION AND EJECTION

All the black characters in Black Boy are constantly rejected by the society.

Richards Grandfather waits for many years for his pension allowance which he is
rightfully entitled to, but all he keeps getting are the rejection letters through which
they deny him all his benefits.
And I would read him the letter reading
slowly and pronouncing each word with extreme
care telling him that his claims for a pension had
not been substantiated and that his application
had been rejected. Grandpa would not blink an
eye, then he would curse softly under his breath.
(p.122)
Also, Richards mother is rejected in the hospital because the government
makes no adequate health provisions for the coloured people. The hospitals provide
good health care for whites, leaving the blacks who live in abject poverty to take
care of themselves. Wright is also rejected by his white employers most of the
time. He goes from one job to another as a result of racial discrimination.
The blacks have problems with the issue of accommodation. Richards
family has to be ejected from their several homes often because they could not pay
43

the house rent. This creates Richards exposure to early street life culminating in
child crime and psychological imbalance and suffering of the worst kind;
Inability to pay rent forced us to moved into a
house perched a top high logs in a section of the
town where flood waters came. My brother and I
had great fun running up and down the tall shaky
steps. Again, rent paying became a problem and we
moved nearer the center of town where I found a
job in a pressing shop yet again we moved, this
time to the outskirts of town, near a wide stretch of
railroad tracks to which each morning before
school, I would take a sack and gather coal to heat
our frame house (p.72)
Richard and his family move from one bad place to a much worse place,
because they were being constantly ejected. This also affects Richards education,
he has to do menial jobs to keep his family together. In Richards society, there
exist no health facilities for blacks, no legal coverage, no justice, no freedom, no
decent jobs all as a result of the society which rejects the black race.

44

3.6

PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ASSAULT

The white never relent to take advantages of the black characters either

physically or sexually. Richard is often bullied by white boys. He says they came
towards me they overtook me and flinch me to the pavement. I yelled, pleaded,
kicked they yanked me to my feet, gave me a few slaps and sent me home
(p.12). The incident happens when Richards mother sends him to get groceries, he
is beaten and tortured for nothing. Richard faces assault so many times in his
family, the white mans office where he works and so much more.
Several negro girls are employed as maids for the whites. The white man
take advantage of them even the lowest of them, the night watchman. He slaps a
black maid playfully on the buttocks and when Richard asks why she allows it, she
say they never get any further with us than that, if we dont want em to (p.174).
This is ironical because the black men are not even allowed to get near a white
prostitute. Neds brother, Bob is shot for flirting with a white prostitute.

45

3.7

REACTION

OF

THE

CHARACTERS

TO

RACISM

AND

OPPRESSION
There are various way through which the characters in BLACK BOY react
to racism and oppression. Some take violence others take to religion. Richard takes
to violence then later alienation. The following subheadings will treat the reactions.
3.7.1 RADICALISM
Wrights radicalization is a reaction to the societal view of the condition of
the blacks. As a child, he is curious about his society, the segregation which is
exactly the opposite of what the blacks should experience. He states that at early
age;
Every happening, no matter hoe trivial became
my business. It was in this manner that I first
stumbled upon the reactions between the blacks
and the whites and what I learned frightened me
(p.36)
Richard recounts the pain of growing in the south where survival is for the
fittest. Like every other black child, this pushes him farther from home into the
46

street, he develops the spirit of alienation. Wright tries to react to their poverty
which is caused by oppression. When his mother was hit by a stroke of paralysis,
shame and pride would however, not let Richard accept charity. Richards
understanding of the situation also adds to his resolution not to drink, or indulge in
sex. He is resolute in his bid to improve the condition of the blacks;
I could fight the southern whites by organizing
with other negroes, as my grandfather had done.
But I know that I could never win that way; there
were many whites and there were but a few
blacks outright black rebellion could never
win (p.138)
Richard is not only critical about the whites, but also the black men who
have turned themselves into puppets in the hands of the whites. Grigg, Shorty, John
all conform to the ways and rules of the whites. Richard portrays his radicalism as
a reaction to the societal view on this individuality and the conditions of the blacks
among whites.
3.7.2 INTELLECTUALISM
It is Richards experience that makes him a writer. Since he is alienated and
isolated from both worlds, he takes to reading everything he could lay hands on,
from magazine, newspapers, novels etc. Black Boy shows Richards loneliness, he
47

claims that I learned to become invisible, to stop living, I felt lonely, cast forever
out of life (p.11-12)
After Richard tries his hands on some few menial jobs, he came to realize
the society is a plain one which holds no future for the uneducated blacks.
Richards dream to become a writer is to be able to express the dominating spirit of
the whites, the idea of white superiority and to tell of the various ways through
which the blacks are exploited. To achieve this dream, Wright moves from the
southern part of America to the northern part where he hopes things will get better.
It was there he begins to write to antagonize slavery and the pervading racial
discrimination.
3.7.3 VIOLENCE
Violence is used by all the characters in the black and white world as a
means of either oppression or protection. The society is mainly of violence which
is unconsciously engraved in the system of the blacks. In the opening chapter of
Black Boy, Richard unconsciously sit the house on fire, I had not really intended
to set the house on fire, I just wanted to see how the curtains would look like when
they burned (p.2). Richards environment could be termed a violent one. As he
48

states our battles are real and bloody. We threw rocks, anders, coal, sticks, iron
and while we threw them, we longed for deadlier weapons (p.39). The black boys
had to use violent methods to react to racism and oppression they faced. Richards
mother equips him for survival by handling him a big stick and teaching him to
defend himself by attacking the white boys. In blind fear, I let the stick fly, feeling
it crack against a boys skull. I swung again lamming another skull, then
anotherthat night, I won the right to the streets on Memphis (p.25-26)
The black boy reacts to the racial segregation and oppression also by verbal
means, they call the white men degrading names i.e. white bastard, son of a bitch,
etc.
3.7.4 RELIGIOUS UNDER TONE
The racial problem turns Wright into an atheist. He thinks religion is for the
whites only because despite the high level of spiritualness of the blacks, the
oppression still increased. However, Richard does not think religion will help, to
him rebellion is needed for survival. Wright says There are white schools and
black schools, white churches and black churches, white business and black
business for all I know, a white God and black God (p.23). Wright does not
49

believe in God and simply says I simply cant feel religion, I will never feel God
(p.23). He rebels against religion which makes the blacks to be satisfied with their
condition. He believes that if there is a God, blacks will not be subjected to
extreme racial prejudice and injustice which pervades the society.
The blacks turn to religion as a means of escaping from racism and
oppression. As seen in the lives of Wrights grandmother, his aunt and his mother.
Richard is compelled to make pretence of worshipping God. He is regarded in his
family as the guilty one who has brought the wrath of God upon the whole house
as a result of his racism.
In their home, granny maintained a hard religion routine, frequent prayers,
reading of the bible verse etc. but all her attempt at inculcating religion into
Richard fails. To Richard, religion is the attempt of one individual or group to rule
another in the name of God and to worsen his stands, his family does not adhere to
the tenets they teach;
there were more violent quarrels in our
deeply regions home than in the house of
gangster, a burglar, or a prostitute. A fact which I

50

used to hint gently to granny and which did my

cause no good (p.151)
Richards acceptance of God which he indicates by his acceptance of
baptism broke the barriers that stands between him and the society. He allows
himself to be baptized not because he feels anything for God but he feels the need
to observe protocol. The church is the only place where the blacks are able to find
relief. The church is able to provide a kind of satisfaction for them, it serves as a
place of escape from their hard experiences.
In summary, Black Boy is about the frustration and humiliation experienced
by a sensitive Negro boy, it deals with the depression of the blacks. Although, at
the end of the novel, there is a glimpse of hope. Wright uses himself as the
protagonist to portray a society where inequality and mans inhumanity to man in
the order of the day. With the insight we have about the blacks, we are made to see
that the life of Richard Wright symbolizes the emergence from slavery and struggle
towards freedom and equality through self appraisal and self identity.

51

CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
This chapter discusses the summary and conclusion proffered to the problem
of focus in the project.
4.1

SUMMARY
In this study, we have been able to realize that the current ideology of young

people that the American society had always been a free one and a place where all
the societal groups have had equal right is not true. What is true is that America
had been involved in the heinous crime of slave trade where people were taken
from countries and brought to America as slaves to work on the plantations.
We have also found out that slave narratives which formed the foundation
for black American literature were written to tell the stories of slavery and the
crimes of the slave traders. These narratives were told by slaves who had no access
to education but whose stories were written down by the few privileged slaves,
slaves who were educated by their owners. These narratives gave birth to what we
know today as African American Literature.

52

Wright gives us an insight into racism, the psychological and sociological

trauma that the people who live in racist society face. He projects revolution as the
only means to freedom and through which people discriminated against can get self
identity and recognition in a racist society.
Furthermore, we have realized that Richard, the protagonist in Black Boy
portrays the suffering and manipulations of the African by the whites as a result of
the colour difference. As a product of racist society, Richard Wright tries to
provide solutions to the racial problems he faced. Richard Wright had the spirit of
radicalism in him, he preferred to go hungry all day than to accept food from the
whites. Also, in the office, he say that white man as his equal and refused to be a
puppet like his fellow black friends. Wrights actions showed that there is no
difference between the two opposing groups and that people should not be
discriminated against because of their skin colour.

53

4.2

CONCLUSION
This essay has dealt with the study of racism and oppression in Richard

Wrights Black Boy. The novel portrays a racist society where racism is a
phenomenon the blacks tried to alter. Racism turned them into animals, families
were separated, innocent were killed and so many dehumanizing issues.
In conclusion, there is still a tone of hope at the end of everything because the
whites effort to oppress them has failed. The blacks never stopped in their protest
to be treated as humans, they tried to make their impact felt in the society and at
the end of the day, they learned to be self assured no matter the circumstance. The
blacks in Diaspora still seek to know their root, which is Africa.
The former American society where no regard is given to the Africans and
where their rights were denied has changed to a society where the blacks are no
longer dependent on the whites.The greatest solution to racism is equal distribution
of rights between the two conflicting worlds, the blacks and the whites. The
Africans, although free, still experienced racism in Black Boy, they have denied all
the privileges the white has. There should be an equal distribution of resources and
wealth, not one group dependent on another. An egalitarian society where there is
54

equal right for both worlds should be created, there should be opportunity to
educate the blacks, access to good jobs, accommodation, health facilities and other
necessities.
Another conclusion is love. According to Longmans Dictionary of
Contemporary English, 3rd edition, love is a string feeling of caring about
someone. People of the world should accept one another despite their historical
and cultural differences. Love should be the binding force for blacks, whites,
Asians or whatever other races. If people can love each other, problems like
racism, war, etc. would be solved without resorting to violent means.

55

BIBLIOGRAPHY
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D.E

(1950).

Negro

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in

the

American

Theatre.

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Adewoye, S.A. (1998). The Essentials of Literature. Ibadan: Paper Back
Publishers Limited.
Balogun, J. (2009) ENG 413 Note Catibbean and Afro-American Literature.
(unpublished) University of Ilorin.
Carl Senna M.F.A (1971) Cliff Notes Oh Richard Wrights The Black Boy USA.
Ck.hilegass.
Clark, J.P (1964). America their America. London: Heinemann Educational
Books Ltd.
Donald, B.G ed (1973) Modern Black Poets A Collection of critical essays;
London Spectrum Book
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Douglass, F. (1982). Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass. An American

Slave. New York: Penguin.
Eckman, F.M. (1960). The Furious Passage of Baldwin. London: Longman Press.
Ellison R. (1953) Richard Wrights Blues Antioch Review Anthology, ed; Paul
Bixler: New York: Word Publishing Company Ltd.
HHP://Wikipedia.org.Racism on 29th November 2009.
HHP://Wikipedia.org.Wright: Life and Background on 29th November 2009.
Lengos, L. (1961). Home and Exile and other selections. London and New York:
Longman Publishing Company.
Lewis, N (1965) Home and Exile and other Selection; London and New York;
Longman Publishing Company.
Rhode, J. (1893). History of United States from the compromise of 1850 to the
Final Restoration of Home Rule at the South in 1877. New York:
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