Identity In Richard Wright's Black Boy

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In Richard Wright's, Black Boy, Richards race affects him deeply. His identity and his survival all come into question because of the way his skin is colored. Even when he was a child he noticed that some people have lighter skin than others. However he did not know the difference until he grew older. Still to this day, some people affiliate black people with criminals. White people and black people both identify Richard as a thief though he is not. In the world that he grew up in it is hard for black people to get good jobs with out being in danger of the revocations of angry "Whites". Richard Wright's father leaves the family when he is a young boy. He knew that he would soon have to become the man of the house so he was not aloud to have much of a childhood. Though he acts like an adult his family still sees his as a kid and does not respect him. …show more content…
When they see him, all they see is a small negro boy who is good for nothing and steals. However Richard is against stealing. Many of his friends call him a "dumb nigger" because he does not steal from white people. Richard Wright writes, "I had never stolen a penny from anyone." though other people of his race were steeling and feeding the stereotype. Richard is still young so even he does not know his full identity. He feels that if he can discover his race than he can understand the world around him better. He asks his mother, "What has Papa got in him?", she tells him that he has: "Some white and some red and some black"(Wright 120) in him. This answer confuses him, he is not just white, indian, or black but his mother informs him that he will be considered as a colored man and Richard is satisfied with this
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