Black Boy (Chapters 1-8)

I've enjoyed reading Black Boy by Richard Wright for the most part. The autobiography has some exciting events, but it is also kind of depressing. It seems like many of the books we read in school evolve around segregation in the 1900s and at first I thought this book was just the same, but it is dealing more with poverty and the hardships of an African American family. That's not to say that there is no representation of racism. Richard's mom is unable to find a decent employment because of her race. Also for example, part of Richard's personality has developed to defend himself against the whole issue. At first Richard questioned segregation because of how ridiculous it is, but sadly as he grows older he begins to understand the issue. "The hostility of the whites had become so deeply implanted in my mind and feelings that it had lost direct connection with the daily environment in which I lived; and my reactions to this hostility fed upon itself, grew or diminished according to the news that reached me about the whites, according to what I aspired or hoped for" (Wright 74). This is one of the many quotes that show Richard's transformation throughout the book. Segregation and poverty are not the only issues that arise in the autobiography and as more arise, I'm interested to see how Richard and his family will deal with them.