(Richard Wright's "The Library Card") The power or neglect

A detailed Summary of (Richard Wright's "The Library Card") The power or neglect

In Richard Wright's excerpt "The Library Card", from his autobiography "Black Boy", he writes of him self as a young man in the 1930's. Wright tells his story about what happen to him during a time when African Americans where considered to be inferior. He was living the typical life of a young African American man during this time, that is with very few rights. Though through his job Wright obtained a library card illegally, in which he used to check out many books. He began to read more and more as the days passed by, through this he began to learn more and more about the world around him. He was also angered by his readings because it showed him the boundaries and limitations in life seeing as he was an African American male from the south. It is indeed true that knowledge is a key to many doors of opportunity, but at the same time knowledge can be a hammer, which strikes one abruptly on the head. When it shows that person all of the things he/she didn't even know about, let alone ever have the chance to do, it is much more like that hammer then the key.

Although Wright felt oppressed because of his readings, by the same token he learned a lot about the world and the people in it. "I now felt that I know what the white men whe

re feeling"(168). Wright gained a new perspective through his readings, he also got to see how a white person sees and talks about the world. He eventually gained the knowledge which empowered him to start writing himself, which in time led to him writing several novels of his own, which where published and sold. Wright enjoyed reading very much, "reading was like a drug, a dope"(168). Through reading Wright's life was better fulfilled, in that he learned of people, places and things and he would have other wise been oblivious to for his whole life.

The other side of the coin was that which made Wright feel as if he had been missing out on so many things in everyday life, which where common luxuries to the white people. "I no longer felt that the world about me was hostile, killing; I knew it"(169). In a way reading made write mad, because himself along with many other African Americans didn't know of their oppression, they didn't know there was any thing else out there to be oppressed from, besides what they know as everyday life. Also Wright couldn't share his newly found knowledge with anyone, considering most everyone around him was white. "I laughed in the way I know he expected me to laugh, but I resolved to b

Some common words found in the essay are:
African Americans, African American, Black Boy, Library Card, Richard Wright's, african americans, gained knowledge, african american, library card, everyday life,

Approximate Word count = 825
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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