Study Guide: Black Boy (Richard Wright)
ESSAY QUESTIONS
Chapters 1-4
1. The book begins with Richard’s retelling of a tragic incident. Describe what happens. How does this set the
tone for the other incidents and relationships that unfold in next few chapters?
ANSWER:
Richard begins the novel by retelling the story of an accident. At age four, he longed for stimulating
activity in a house where he was forced to be quiet. One thing leads to another and Richard eventually
sets the house on fire. This incident sets the tone for the novel in the sense that we learn about Richard’s
curiosity and how much he longs to understand how things work. We also learn that Richard’s fear can
sometimes cause him to make decisions that backfire on him. For example, he hides under the house to
avoid getting beaten, but neglects the greater danger of being under the burning edifice. Furthermore we
see how so many of Richard’s inner qualities such as hunger for knowledge or forthrightness are
problematic in a society where he is not meant to succeed based on his intelligence, but rather, his
obedience.
Chapters 5-8
2. At the beginning of chapter 7 Richard says, “…Hunger still a vital part of consciousness.” What are the
different types of hunger that Richard experiences throughout this section?
ANSWER:
Chapter 7 opens with Richard listing all of the things he is hungry for:
“Entering school in September…reading…a job…going north…” (p.161). Throughout the section
Richard attempts to satisfy these needs at varying degrees of success. Important moments include the
writing of his first story “The Voodoo of Hell’s Half Acre,” (p.164-169) his job at the mill and continued
search for employment, (p.170-172) and his insistence on reading his own speech at graduation (p.174178).
Chapters 9-12
3. Richard spends Chapter 9 finding work and trying to socialize “appropriately” with white people. At the
beginning of Chapter 10, he says, “For weeks I could not believe in my feelings.” Explain how this impacts his
work life, his impression of whites, and his impression of other African- Americans throughout this section.
ANSWER:
Richard has a difficult time taking on the role of the “obedient Negro.” His reflexes and desire to
understand things before he responds to them makes him inefficient at work, where he is employed
simply to fetch things. Furthermore, he has difficulty reading social cues and therefore says things to
aggravate the whites he works for, though he believes he is responding logically. Additionally he is
puzzled by what he views as the irony of African- American life. One incident in particular, with a young
black man who brags about getting the “clap, ” causes Richard to feel alienated from other men who
share his background. Moreover, fear plays a large role in his ability to relate to others, and to be
himself. For example he says on p. 200,
“Often when perplexed, I longed to be like the smiling, lazy forgetful, black boys in the noisy
hotel locker rooms, with no torrential conflicts to resolve. Many times I grew weary of the secret
burden I carried and longed to cast it down, either in action or in resignation. But I was not
made to be a resigned man and I had only a limited choice of actions, and I was afraid of all of
them.”
Chapters 13-16
4. In Chapter 13, Richard continues to feed his desire for knowledge by devoting himself to reading. Chapter 15
begins the second part of the book “The Horror and the Glory” with a Negro Folk Song. What is the
significance of this song to this section? What might it say about Richard’s impression of his own relationships?
ANSWER:
This song seems to illustrate Richard’s ultimate longing for empathy. He longs to know whether or not
there are others who struggle with the same social, political and spiritual questions. Thus far in the novel,
he has not seen evidence that others share in his plight, though this may be as much a result of his
uniqueness, as it is a result of his inability in social situations to “read” people. Several times throughout
the following chapters, it is clear that Richard is only remotely aware of the impression that he gives in
social situations of being distant or even snobby.
Chapters 17-20
5. Why do think Richard begins to embrace communism? How does this lead to the development of his political
views about African- Americans?
ANSWER:
Richard may have embraced communism for several reasons. One may be because it fed his intellectual
desire to approach life in a logical way. If things were presented logically and adhered to, he could hope
to remove some the uncertainty that surrounded him in his youth. Rather than leaving things to chance,
the theoretical communism ensured that everyone was given a fair share of opportunity. Secondly, he
may have been attracted to communism because it was one of the few instances in which he saw racial
integration. Blacks and whites seemed to have equal opportunity. In fact, though it was done for political
reasons, he did ultimately become the leader of his group. White communists were some of the first
people to show him any type of respect for his intellect. Thirdly, it may be that he saw hopelessness in
some of the other movements, such as Garveyism. Additionally, it may also be that the works of many
communist writers were seen as controversial and Richard tended to gravitate towards things that were
outside of his own social sphere. Ultimately it may have been an effort to change what he thought was the
ultimate destiny of a boy growing up in the South.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. In Chapter 1, to spite his father, Richard strangled a ______________
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
bird
cat
dog
rabbit
squirrel
2. In Chapter 6, against his better judgment Richard decides to ______________ to please his mother.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
go to a vocational school
take a job as a milkman
get baptized
become a blues musician
learn to drive
3. In Chapter 12, Richard is disgusted by the behavior of _____________ who humiliates himself for the
amusement of white people.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Brandon
Griggs
Harrison
Leon
Shorty
4. In Chapter 15, Richard moves up north to the city of _____________ to find a better living for himself.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Chicago
St. Louis
New York
Boston
Philadelphia
5. In Chapter 18, Richard is persuaded by _________ to join the John Reed Club as a writer.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Mr. Crane
Sol
Swann
Mr. Burlowski
Buddy Nealson
Answer Key: 1. b
2. c
3. e
4. a
5. b
FEATURED LITERARY DEVICE:
Repetition in Sentence Construction
At various points throughout the first two chapters of Black Boy, Richard Wright uses repetition in the
grammatical structure of his sentence to convey rhythm, tone and the passage of time. For example, on p. 7 he
recounts the wonder he felt as a child in exploring his curiosity about the world around him. He says,
“There was the delight I caught in seeing long straight rows of red and green vegetables
stretching away in the sun to the bright horizon.
There was the faint cool kiss of sensuality when dew came on my cheeks…”
Richard continues by beginning the next 20 sentences with the phrase “There was the…” followed by
detailed descriptions of all the images which unfolded before him in the discovery of the world around him. The
use of this construct allows us to focus on the images themselves, because the established rhythm draws us into
each new idea with a sense of expectation. Furthermore, when he breaks the rhythm, emphasis is added to the
next detail which unfolds, which in this case, is the sudden announcement that he is to be uprooted from his
home in order to move to Memphis.
Again on p. 45 & 46, Richard recounts how the days stretched out before him using this same
convention:
“There was the breathlessly anxious fun of chasing and catching flitting fireflies on drowsy
summer nights.
There was the drenching hospitality in the pervading smell of sweet magnolias…”
The use of the convention here evokes our memory of the first usage, and we are allowed to feel more
connected to the mind of the child by experiencing his curiosity with him as the familiarity draws us in.
Richard’s final use of this device on p. 71-72 combines our familiarity of the convention with an
unexpected and necessary adjustment. This time he begins each sentence with the phrase “If I…” This is a
stronger match for the subject matter, superstition. However, the repetition allows us to feel acquainted with the
presentation of information, and makes us aware that even as the introductory phrase has changed in a
significant way, so has the mind of the child. Richard explains the old wives’ tales and superstitions that
puzzled and fascinated him:
“…If my right ear itched, then something good was being said about me by somebody.
If I touched a humpback’s hump then I would never be sick…”
This is the child who is no longer just observing, but also learning to interpret the world around him. Therefore
adjustments in structure come to signify adjustments in content.
DIALOGUE QUESTION:
In Black Boy by Richard Wright, there is virtually no evidence of positive relationships with women. Women
are often associated with the development of qualities such as affection, intuition and nurturing. How do you
think this affects Richard’s view of women, as well as his emotional development throughout the novel?
SUPPLEMENTARY READING MATERIALS
1. POETRY
Haiku: This Other World (Richard Wright)
This is an amazing collection of over 800 explorations of this ancient Japanese form of poetry. Wright is able to
address issues that include race, beauty, love, anger, and wonder 17 syllables at a time!
2. FICTION
Native Son (Richard Wright)
A compelling novel about a young black man, growing up in Chicago in the 30’s who has to cope with his
position in a racist society.
2. PBS has a series on “Jim Crow” stories that gives a biography on Richard Wright and others who
experienced segregation in the American South. Go to
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_people_wright.html
3. Books about Richard Wright:
• Michel Fabre, The Unfinished Quest of Richard Wright. New York, William Morrow, 1973; Urbana:
University of Illinois Press, 1993
• Margaret Walker, Richard Wright: Daemonic Genius. New York, Warner 1998
• Henry Louis Gates and K.A. Appiah, eds., Richard Wright: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New
York, Amistad 1993
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you think Part One of the novel Black Boy is called “Southern Night?” Explain your
answer.
2. Why do you think Part Two is called “The Horror and The Glory?” Explain your answer.
3. How does hunger function like a character throughout the novel?
CREATIVE WRITING EXERCISE
1. Imagine that you are a community leader working with young boys in Richard’s area. It is 1925 and Richard
is about to graduate from school. He has asked you to write a recommendation for him to get into another
program. What do you say about him? (1-2 Paragraphs)
2. Reread the incident where Richard is forced by his mother to atone for the cat incident. (p.11-14) Write a
poem in the voice of Richard describing what it felt like to bury the cat in the dark. Try to convey his fear
through imagery rather than using words like afraid or scared.
A Brief Biography of Richard Wright:
Richard Wright (1908-1960) was among many things, a novelist, poet and journalist. Born Richard Nathaniel
Wright on Rucker’s Plantation in Mississippi, he was the son of Ella Wilson & Nathaniel Wright. Richard
Wright was part of some of the most important political movements of the 20th century and struggled against
racism through activism in the Communist and Pan- Africanist Movements. His most famous novel, Native Son,
won him considerable acclaim in his lifetime.
Books By Richard Wright
Fiction
Eight Men. New York: Pyramid Books, 1961.
Lawd Today. New York: Walker & Company, 1963.
The Long Dream. Chatham, N.J.: Chatham Bookseller, 1958.
Native Son. New York: Harper & Row, 1940.
The Outsider. New York: Harper & Row, 1953.
Savage Holiday. Chatham, N.J.: Chatham Bookseller, 1954.
Uncle Tom's Children. New York: Harper & Row, 1938.
Non-Fiction
American Hunger. New York: Harper & Row, 1977. PS3545.R815Z49
Black Boy: A Record of Childhood Youth. New York: Harper & Row, 1966. PS3545.R815Z5
Black Power: A Record of Reactions in a Land of Pathos. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1954. DT510.2.W74
The Color Curtain: A Report on the Bandung Conference. Cleveland: World Publishing, 1956. DS35.A8
Pagan Spain. New York: Harper & Row, 1957. DP43.W7
Twelve Million Black Voices. New York: Viking Press, 1941. E185.6.W9
White Man, Listen! Garden City, N.J.: Doubleday, 1957. HT1581.W7
Articles & Essays by Richard Wright
"Early Days in Chicago." Negro Digest 8 (July 1950): 52-68.
"The God that Failed" in The Negro Since Emancipation, Harvey Wish, ed. Englewood Cliffs: N.J.: Prentice
Hall, 1964. pp. 115-127. E185.61.W79
"How Bigger Was Born" in Native Son. New York: Harper, 1940. vii-xxxiv.
Interviews with Richard Wright
Delpech, Jeanine. "An Interview with Native Son." Crisis 57 (November 1950): 625-626, 678.
Faris, Kenneth. "A Small Portrait of Richard Wright." Negro History Bulletin 25 (April 1962):155-156.