Black Boy by Richard Wright 2
Frederick Douglass and Richard Wright wrote memoirs recounting their experiences with racism. Though their writing styles are completely different from one another, the subjects they discuss are similar. After reading each piece they have both made me empathize with their feelings, however different their lives are from mine. Their memoirs, My Bondage My Freedom and Black Boy, provide insightful images of the racist and cruel treatment these writers experienced. Despite all of their stylistic differences, after both excerpts I understand the passion they felt for the hatred they endured.The variation of the writers' use of quotation marks provides insight to the degree of formality that Wright and Douglass express. Wright uses quotations frequently and exclusively in dialogue. Included within the quotes are the unjust requests, unfair news, and degrading remarks that infuriated him. "'Hello, Ned. What's new?' I asked. 'You've heard, haven't you?' he asked. 'They killed him,' he managed to say.
He sobbed his answer. Bob was dead; I had met him only a few times, but I felt that I had known him through his brother (p. 382)." "I had one more problem to settle before I could make my speech. I was the only boy in my class wearing short pants and I was grimly determined to leave school in long pants. Was I not going to work? Would I not be on my own? (p. 387)." "Although my old master- Capt. Anthony- gave me at first, (as the reader will have already seen,) very little attention, and although that little was remarkably mild and gentle description, a few months only were sufficient to convince me that mildness and gentleness were not the prevailing or governing traits of his character (p.135)." Richard Wright uses 'I' frequently, and constantly persuades me of his opinion of his experiences. I am convinced that he was wronged though in a less factual way. The role of circumstance is important in comparing and contrasting Wright and Douglass. Wright chooses to take responsibility for everything, while Douglass is more passive in taking ownership in his actions. Wright does not let
Some common words found in the essay are:
Douglass Wright, Richard Wright, Ned What's, Wright's Screaming, Black Boy, Capt Anthony-, Richard Wright's, Wright Douglass, Frederick Douglass, wright douglass, sentences paragraphs, richard wright, quotation marks, frederick douglass,
Approximate Word count = 743
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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