AP+2016+Richard+Wright

1. Richard Wright 2.Morgan Carruth 3.

Aim: The purpose of Richard Wright’s writings was to instill directly the dilemma that colored people faced in a time where people around them were incredibly unforgiving to their mistakes and flaws. An article concerning his life states, “ Wright declared in ‘How Bigger Was Born’ that he needed to write a book that bankers' daughters would not be able to ‘read and feel good about,’ that would ‘be so hard and deep that they would have to face it without the consolation of tears’” (Rayson). Wright, born in 1908, faced numerous examples of hardship; his own grandmother was illiterate and thought fiction to be the work of the devil, and Wright had to keep his works to himself and never let them see the light of day, lest she throw them out or burn them. He faced the terrors of Jim Crow laws in the South before departing to the relatively-safer North in Chicago. His books, particularly Native Son, were supposed to show the stereotypes and negative connotations that came with simply being black in the 1900s and even later on. However, Native Son was also criticized for showing the same stereotype Wright hoped to fight: that of the aggressive, brutish negro who had no hope of becoming civilized or peaceful. They criticized him for lacking the “beauty of self”; instead of seeing the brutality of life for the average poor black boy, they saw a disrespect of the average black family. His purpose was not to show the black community as a brutish people; instead, he wanted to portray the portrait of a black boy thrust into unfortunate circumstances that would have had a better end had he been white

Audience: The audience of Richard Wright's work, Native Son, largely consisted of those who were middle class and those who have experienced the struggles of being poor. Due to the fact that Wright is an African American author, his works were less popularized as those published by white authors. However, Wright's works became quickly well known after he published his collection of stories, Uncle Tom’s Children. The time period that Wright lived in, largely influenced by segregation and rights, made it more difficult for Wright to achieve success. The middle class audience that he focused his work on was less inclined to read his stories because they were more closely consistent with real African American life and lives of middle class people. One article states, “ as a rule, middle-class writing, black and white, was designed to entertain, not to disturb, its middle-class reader”(Harcourt). The effect that his writing had on his audience was the introduction of a harsh reality that Black Americans had to face in that society. The writing of Richard Wright influenced the people of his society as well as the world of literature by interesting people in a more real type of writing. One that was less centered around being a historical piece, but an accurate representation of the lives some had to live in that society.

Historical: Wright lived in a situation consumed by poverty, allowing him to connect far better with his readers through his writing. His financial state caused him to make many decisions that many would view as negative, such as joining the communist party. One articles states, “ But like so many Americans struggling through the Depression, Wright fell prey to bouts of poverty”(BIO). Wright was forced to conduct several odd jobs so as to keep financially stable, often delving into literature in his free time. Wright would even check out books under a white coworkers information so that he could advance his knowledge of literature. Eventually, he became successful in the field of writing when he published his collection of stories, Uncle Tom's Children. This work lessened his financial struggles and not only put him at ease, but gave him the freedom to write that he always yearned for. Due to his time period, it was much more difficult for an African American writer to achieve success. However, Wright was able to overcome these struggles by moving to New York, where he would have a better chance of being published. This was due to the wider variety of publishers and a more fruitful selection of people.

Cultural: Wright was born on a plantation to an illiterate sharecropper and a school teacher. From a very young age, he was subjected to the struggles of everyday society, amplified because of his race. Wright was forced to live in an orphanage for a short period of time, because of the financial instability that his family was in. One article states, “ Determined to leave the South before he would irretrievably overstep the bounds of Jim Crow restrictions on blacks, Wright took the train to Chicago in December 1927”(Rayson). The culture that Richard Wright was a part of was one that was ruled by white Americans, and provided less opportunity for black Americans. This forced wright to move to places and take up jobs that allowed him to have greater opportunity. However, Wright was able to overcome both his crippling financial situation, and the restrictions placed on him for his race, and become successful in the field of writing. One of his First successes, Uncle Toms Cabin, revolutionized the world of African American writing and changed the perspective of this form of writing from historical pieces to those who were enjoyed as entertainment. The society that wright lived in was one that consisted of a middle class that was less likely to read novels that were more “real” and related to actual life, Wright was able to change that.

Works Cited "Black Boy." Perspectives on. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016. Rayson, Ann. "Richard Wright's Life." Richard Wright's Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016. "Richard Wright Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.