Black Boy Character Analysis

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In the story of Black Boy, written by Richard Wright, we see Richard grow up from being a naive little boy to a knowledgeable young man. Through years of education, surviving his own family, and working, Richard slowly learns more and more about his place in the world and the difference between a white man's way of living compared to a black man's way of living. As segregation becomes more and more prominent in his life. The segregation, racial hate, and white brutality, despite their horrible nature, did end up changing Richard for the better. He is constantly learning about the severity of his actions if he puts a toe out of line with a white person; however, through dangerous and almost deadly encounters with white people, Richard was able …show more content…
While walking to town Richard noticed an old classmate, Ned sitting on his porch looking unhappy. Trying to start a light conversation with Ned, Richard soon discovered Bob Greenleys brutal death over a rumor that he was sleeping with a white woman, was one of many different results of the brutal way white people treated blacks if they were even suspected of committing a crime “ ‘They killed him,’ he managed to say. ‘The white folks?’ I asked in a whisper, guessing. 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” (171). Although the white brutality didn’t affect Richard directly, it still was a major blow to Richard. He didn’t know Bob personally, however, there was some what of a relationship between the two through Ned. “ Inside of me my world crashed and my body felt heavy. I stood looking down the quiet, sun-filled street. Bob had been caught by the white death, the threat of which hung over every male black in the south” (172). Killed by white men, Bob’s death hurt Richard both physically and emotionally. Every black person in the south, men, women, and children, even though they were free, still had to live their lives in fear of every white person around him. Watching their every
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