I found this autobiographical sketch to be very intriguing on a personal level due to my personal interest in current and past social issues around the world. The format of this article was highly effective in giving a chronological life-story and showing how growing up during the days of the active Jim Crow laws took a toll on a black man's mindset and personality.
In the first story, where Richard Wright would throw cinders in his backyard, it was already evident that the Jim Crow laws had taken a toll on his perception of Black Americans. He would intentionally hurl cinders at passing black folk, which is obviously not a safe or kind thing to do. This indicated that it had already been instilled in his mind that Africans were less of a person, thus he treated them inhumanely. Later, after an unfair brawl between some neighborhood white kids and Wright's friends, leaving him with three stitches behind his ear, Richard questioned the injustice. He knew that the white kids had taken it too far and should be reprimanded. Upon telling his mother, and assuming she'd take his side, he was told that he was then beaten and punished for white action.
Still as a child, Wright got his first job working with white people. Upon questioning authority with the intent of trying to improve himself as an employee, he was ostracized, and eventually beaten and forced to quit his job. This reaction from his coworkers demonstrated to Wright that even the idea of a black man working at the status of a white man was offensive and unthinkable. Simply trying to be a better employee was taken as an insult to white people.
A reoccurring theme in this autobiographical sketch was the notion that black people must feel grateful, even in terrible events. Continuously, after seeing blacks (and being) beaten, harassed, and in one case castrated, Wright would hear others and himself being referred to as "lucky bastards" and that they should be "thankful" they were not killed-- as if not simply not killing a Black American was seen as a noble and honorable deed.
As Wright's life went on and he learned his "Jim Crow lessons," you could see his self-worth deteriorate as he questioned the injustice done by whites less and less. He grew up being told that white people were never in the wrong and that they held a natural place in authority.
Hi, Cora! I enjoyed your writing; you have strong voice and good thoughts. One thought that I liked in particular was the recurring theme of African Americans feeling grateful, even in terrible events. It was well-worded and fascinating. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi Cora! Living during this time was definitely troubling and quite a challenge for African Americans. They didn't have it as easily as whites did, which is completely wrong. I agree with you when you said Wright's self-worth deteriorated after he learned his "Jim Crow" lessons. A lot of African Americans were taught to know that whites held authority. It's when African Americans didn't agree with this that caused many problems to arise.
ReplyDeleteGreat response Cora! It was amazing to me how strongly your opinions and feelings about this issue shown through your writing. I agree with almost every one of your points and I think that this issue can be tied to many other issues such as woman's equality.
ReplyDeleteHey Co, miss you! It is clear that you have a strong sympathy and perspective on civil rights. I thought that this article was intriguing because we heard the story through the voice of a black man. I think we are often not given a human perspective when we have been taught about the plight of African Americans and their journey towards equality. I also appreciated how you were uncomfortable with the fact that Richard was to just accept his place in the world, and not demand better. You have a great insight. Keep up the good work! See you soon
ReplyDeleteHi Cora,
ReplyDeleteYour point about black Americans always being told that they should “Be grateful” was one that I had missed before. It does seem like a way of conveying the belief that it was a white man’s right to kill a black man if he saw fit to do so. This reminded me of an essay I read by George Orwell called Politics and the English Language which suggests that the forces behind our use of language are political, whether unconscious or otherwise. The idea of blacks being told that they should be grateful to avoid more suffering seems to fit the pattern of speech obeying the political motives of white America. Thanks for the insight.