Importance of Language in Richard Wrights Black Boy Essay -- Wright B

The Importance of Language in discolor son Richard Wrights novel Black Boy is not solely a story about one mans struggle to find freedom and intellectual happiness, it is a story about his discovery of talking tos intrinsical strengths and weaknesses. And the ways in which its forcefulness can separate one soul from another and one class from another. Throughout the novel, he moves from fear to respect, to ab utilise, to fear of words in a cycle of education which might be likened to a tumultuous love affair. From the very beginning of the novel we see young Richard pick up the power of language when he follows his fathers literal directions and kills a cat he has befriended(12). Although he knows that this is not really what his father wants him to do, following these directions explicitly temporarily gives him a sort of power over his fathers wishes. At the same time it reveals a weakness in his father, ie., his lack of control over language gives him less power. Later, w hen Richard must(prenominal) defend himself against attackers who repeatedly try to steal his mothers money(21), he learns a new and symbolic lesson Victory can come when one has money, words (the grocery list), and a big fetch to defend ones self. His next experience with language frightens him away from it. He becomes blind with anger(29) when he is forced to clean four letter words from places he has compose them. He does not understand how, in his innocence, he could have misused something which had only done him good in the past. afterward this experience, Richard shies away from the use of powerful language for many years. In one scene he refuses to blot the ink from a stack of envelopes(36), fearing, perhaps, the power of the written word, and... ..., 1953, 457-8. Rpt. in young American Literature. Vol. 3. rude(a) York Ungar, 1960, 417. McCall, Dan. The Bad Nigger. The Example of Richard Wright. New York Harcourt, 1969. Rpt. in Richard Wrights Black Boy Modern Crit ical Interpretations. New York Chelsea House, 1988. McCall, Dan. Wrights American Hunger. Appiah 259-268. Moss, Robert F. Caged Misery. Saturday Review. Jan. 21, 1978, 45-7. Rpt. in Contemporary literary Criticism. Vol. 14. Detroit Gale, 1980. Skerrett, Joseph T., Jr. Wright and the Making of Black Boy. in Richard Wrights Black Boy Modern Critical Interpretations. New York Chelsea House, 1988. Stepto, Robert. Literacy and Ascent Black Boy. Appiah, 226-254. Thaddeus, Janice. The Metamorphosis of Black Boy. Appiah 272-284. Wright, Richard. Black Boy. New York Harper, 1944. Importance of Language in Richard Wrights Black Boy Essay -- Wright BThe Importance of Language in Black Boy Richard Wrights novel Black Boy is not only a story about one mans struggle to find freedom and intellectual happiness, it is a story about his discovery of languages inherent strengths and weaknesses. And the ways in which its power can separate one soul from another and one class fr om another. Throughout the novel, he moves from fear to respect, to abuse, to fear of language in a cycle of education which might be likened to a tumultuous love affair. From the very beginning of the novel we see young Richard realize the power of language when he follows his fathers literal directions and kills a cat he has befriended(12). Although he knows that this is not really what his father wants him to do, following these directions explicitly temporarily gives him a sort of power over his fathers wishes. At the same time it reveals a weakness in his father, ie., his lack of control over language gives him less power. Later, when Richard must defend himself against attackers who repeatedly try to steal his mothers money(21), he learns a new and symbolic lesson Victory can come when one has money, words (the grocery list), and a big stick to defend ones self. His next experience with language frightens him away from it. He becomes blind with anger(29) when he is forced to clean four letter words from places he has written them. He does not understand how, in his innocence, he could have misused something which had only done him good in the past. After this experience, Richard shies away from the use of powerful language for many years. In one scene he refuses to blot the ink from a stack of envelopes(36), fearing, perhaps, the power of the written word, and... ..., 1953, 457-8. Rpt. in Modern American Literature. Vol. 3. New York Ungar, 1960, 417. McCall, Dan. The Bad Nigger. The Example of Richard Wright. New York Harcourt, 1969. Rpt. in Richard Wrights Black Boy Modern Critical Interpretations. New York Chelsea House, 1988. McCall, Dan. Wrights American Hunger. Appiah 259-268. Moss, Robert F. Caged Misery. Saturday Review. Jan. 21, 1978, 45-7. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 14. Detroit Gale, 1980. Skerrett, Joseph T., Jr. Wright and the Making of Black Boy. in Richard Wrights Black Boy Modern Critical Interpretations. New Yo rk Chelsea House, 1988. Stepto, Robert. Literacy and Ascent Black Boy. Appiah, 226-254. Thaddeus, Janice. The Metamorphosis of Black Boy. Appiah 272-284. Wright, Richard. Black Boy. New York Harper, 1944.