ething he did not do. Further on, when Richard is confronted with the fact that white people like Negroes who stole from them, than to know their own true self-worth. Richard is thinking, "But I, who stole nothing, who wanted to look them straight in the face, who wanted to talk and act like a man, inspired fear in them," (219). This passage is demonstrating how bold and brave Richard is, for he wants to stand up for himself against a white man who looked down on him. Later in the novel, Richard is pondering on what he should do in his life. He knows he can not stay in the South and willingly be kicked as Shorty had done. He would rather die, then do what Shorty has already submitted to. This is showing how much strength and pride Richard has. These are all examples of Richard Wright’s character, that has helped him become the great author that he is. Societal oppression and internalized oppression has affected Richard Wright in his early childhood years. The negative factors he has overcame throughout his life, has contributed to his rise as a great American author. One of the many themes, in the novel is if you follow what you feel is wrong, then you may not be able to rise to the top. In "Black Boy," Richard Wright did just the opposite. Instead of submitting, like everyone else, to the low life, Jim Crow laws were intended for, he has risen above those who already has submitted. Another universal theme is that if you believe that you can achieve in anything, most likely you will achieve in many things in life. In the novel at first, Richard did not believe he can do anything to improve his life. Once he started to believe he can do things on his own, he moved out of the South to become that great American author. These are the themes in the novel Black Boy, that can be used for everyday life, universally. *************************** When a person thinks about hunger, food comes to mind. We never think of hunger as anything els...
