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Summary: A great book to read
Review: Black Boy is a book about Richard Wright's struggles in the south being an african american. Richard Wright tells his story of poverty, disrespect, and his hopes and dreams of going up north. This autobiography simply tells of Richard's hunger for compassion, freedom, and justice. In the SECOND HALF of the book, Richard explains about what the north is like, how different it is compared to the south, and how he adjusts to it. This shows how Richard is not yet enculturated with the north, and its people.
Rating: 
Summary: Black Boy
Review: I really liked this book. It shows segregation through the eyes of a child and young adult in the 1900s It shows how Richard changes from being a naive child to an intelligent, independent adult. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in civil rights and equality amoung the races.
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Summary: One of the best autobiographies ever written
Review: Richard Wright wrote one of my favorite novels, "Native Son," and this, my favorite autobiography. I never know what to think of an autobiography. First of all, the writer must have a huge ego, to write and publish the story of his or her life. Second, what writer of his own life story will tell the honest-to-God truth? I must admit, this is the only biography I've read of Mr. Wright, so I have no idea as to how accurate it is as to dates, occurrences, etc. So let me tell you why I love this book. It's because of Mr. Wright's love of books! Everything! His hunger for knowledge was incredible. . .he'd work 10 hours, eat a can of barely warm pork and beans and start reading everything he could put his hands on. (He had to talk another man at his job into letting him use his library card to check out books, because Mr. Wright was black and Negroes couldn't use the public library.) Mencken, Twain, Zola, Sinclair Lewis. . .I felt lazy after reading how this young man educated himself, against almost impossible odds, while I sit on my rear end and do nothing, with everything available to me at no price. This book will inspire you to be the best person that you can be.
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Summary: Transcendent effort that will not soon be forgotten
Review: Richard Wright, known primarily as the archetypal author of Native Son, has written his most endearing work (in my opinion) in Black Boy. Although he received financial security and immense critical acclaim upon the advent of Native Son, it was, however, Black Boy that firmly cemented his name amongst the civil rights pioneers of the 1940's.
Is it merely a racial coming of age book? NO. It is, without question, infinitely more than that. It would be doing the book a grave disservice to merely pigeonhole it in that category. Black Boy, whether you want to label it an autobiographical novel or a semi-fictional autobiography, provocatively enthralls and envelops the reader into young Richard's tangled web of racial injustice, coming of age, and more importantly, self-actualization.
As we follow young Richard from his young formative years in rural Mississippi to Memphis to Chicago, we feel as if we grow with him and are rooting for him all the while to succeed and to grow both physically (from his almost constant lack of food) and mentally (his insatiable appetite for knowledge is something we all can learn from).
Although I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book the most (the ending was somewhat abrupt and the tales of his involvement with the Communist group in Chicago were not as engaging as those in the beginning), I came away both impressed and enlightened from reading this life account of a time and place so vastly different from today's society, yet not as far removed as some would have you think.
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Summary: Black Boy, A Hero
Review: The book that I enjoyed reading was Black Boy by Richard Wright, an African American writer of the early 1900's. Black Boy is an autobiography of Richard Wright's life from birth to his mid-thirties. The book discussed the racial prejudices that Richard Wright and other African Americans endured in the North and the South. Based on his progressions as a reader and writer, which he accomplished through hard work and large amounts of reading and writing, I found him to have the many characteristics of a hero, such as discipline, intelligence, and determination.
When Richard was a child, he was constantly hungry and had poor schooling because only his mother supported him and his brother, Alan. As he grew up, his hunger forced him to find a job. Due to racial discrimination, Richard could not learn a trade, but he still showed discipline as he continued to do the best he could. As a result of working with whites, Richard learned what society expected and thought of him as an African American. Since many whites believed he was inferior, he could only address them as "Sir" or "Madam." Although he was mocked and felt anger towards the whites, like when he was offered money to fight another African American, he still treated them with respect. I thought that these actions showed extreme discipline because he was very careful not to let his anger get the best of him, for he might make a poor mistake. As he moved to the Northern parts of America, Richard experienced new freedoms and wasn't not looked down upon for his strong passion for literature. He no longer had to borrow a library card from Mr. Falk, his co-worker, and forge Mr. Falk's signature to use it. Richard Wright's strong desire to read grew even more and he became very determined to write like the professional authors such as Mark Twain and William Faulkner. He showed to be an intelligent and determined student when he graduated high school as valedictorian and wrote his own speech to read instead of the professors. Perhaps Richard Wright loved literature a great deal because it allowed him to escape from his stress with the outside world, especially as an inferior to many. His desire for reading constantly grew, and he learned to use words as weapons by writing poems. H.L. Mencken, a critic of the white South inspired Richard, and read his books by borrowing a library card from a man he worked with, Mr. Falk. As time passed by, Richard joined a writer's union, which happened to be Communist. When he first entered, he was a bit skeptical. He mastered the many skill of writing and progressed in position from a curious writer to the chief editor of the union's magazine, New Masses. He developed a unique style of writing and won an assortment of prizes and awards, like Springarn Medal from the NAACP. In his later years he published many short stories like "Big Boy Leaves Home," and a few novels, such as Uncle Tom's Children. Richard Wright's determination and self-discipline proved to be efficient qualities because they gave Richard a whole new mind and the literacy which helped him cope with his emotions of the world. Overall, Black Boy described the differing amounts of discrimination he received as moved more North and how he endured it, which was through literature, despite the objections of white people.
I believe that Richard Wright was a hero because he showed determination to learn and disciplined himself not to pour out his anger when whites verbally abused him for it. In return for his love for literature, he became full of knowledge and won many awards for his writing. I believe he wrote Black Boy because he wanted every person to know the truths about the capabilities of African Americans and the cruelty of racial discrimination and prejudice. He served as a beacon of hope for the racially persecuted; that advancement in position and honor is possible, no matter what the other race wants or thinks. He emphasized a theme in the power of words, whether spoken or written (The pen is mightier than the sword). Richard Wright used his words as weapons to abolish racial discrimination and prejudice, which may be the primary reason for the writing of Black Boy. Richard Wright displayed heroic qualities when dared to learn even when he knew he would be humiliated, showing self-discipline. His determination and passion for literature forced him to work extremely hard, but his perseverance rewarded him in the end with understanding and knowledge of literature and society. I believe that this book was a worthwhile read because Richard's lifestyle inspired me. He persevered through times of trouble, working diligently and with determination to acquire the fulfillment of achieving a goal, even when looked down upon. To me, this is one of the greatest examples of a hero.
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Summary: Wright Auto Bio
Review: The first Wrift book I read was the impressive 'Native Son'. I found Black Boy and read it. It's easy to read and gives you a good insight in how black life in the south was in the 1920. Wright's life as for so many has not been easy: no father, a crippled mother, racism abound. But still he finds time to read books and he reads the classics. Especially Babbit was one of his favorites (and one of mine too). Via Memphis he goes to Chicago were he becomes a more famous writer and starts working/writing for the communist party where he has a lot of trouble as an independant thinker.This book gives a great insight into black life. REal events are interspersed with his thinking about race relations. It is also easy to read and won't take a long time to finish. Definitely worth reading!
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Summary: Black Boy Review
Review: This autobiography of Richard Wright has a really strong sense of power to it. It shows the everyday trials that a young black boy has to go through in order to be accepted in this society. Giving real life situations this book is filling everybody that reads it in on the life and times of a normal african-american human. Situations were very hected during the time that Richard Wright was growing up and he knew being a black child was a top reason that he would never make it through. Strength comes from within the mind and soul and there was alot of examples showing how strong he was. No matter what stood in his way, he never gave up. There was plenty of negativity, stereotyping, and hatred against blacks and most of that still exists today believe it or not. Black Boy captured the attention of many individuals and gave a sense of what it was like to get anywhere in the world today as a young afro-american. Just telling of all the events that he went through shows how much one can do with very little oppurtunities. Overall, Black Boy is a very powerful book and should be read by teenagers all across the country.
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Summary: A masterpiece
Review: This is an autobiographical work by African-American writer Richard Wright, encompassing the first two decades of his life, and taking place in the early twentieth century, in that hotbed of racial and social conflict, the American Deep South.
The work is at once fiercely honest, but also lyrical and literate, demonstrating and describing the genesis of Wright's development as a human being and writer. As a boy, Wright keeps his independence and dignity intact despite opposition forces warring against him to try and force him to conform to what the white expectation of the black man's behaviour should be. Literature becomes his salvation. As for so many writers, he finds solace in the writings of the classic authors of the nineteenth century (by sneaking books that would be otherwise inaccessible to him) from the library through a co-operative white friend.
He does not spare the black race any of the same wrath and disappointment that he subjects the white people to as he encounters gross abuse at the hands of his family and those around him who are under the "system", and who try to suppress him and try to coerce him into surrendering his spirit and individuality in the name of conformity and religion out of fear and anxiety. In the end, he leaves the South with a bitter realism which had taken formation over a lifetime of suppression and suffering, and which he would take with him to fuel his creative spirit once settled in the North. He had such mature reflection which developed in spite of those around him who told him that he was immature and wayward.
The only redeeming Southern white characters in the story are those who are ultimately powerless to remedy the situation, such as a former employer (and he had his share of unsympathetic bosses also). This story is still relevant in the twenty first century, because even though the institutional type of racism that was ingrained in Southern ways and thinking is no longer with us in a formal fashion, there is still a strong racial and economic divide now, and in the South there still resides prejudice and bigotry towards those whose views are divergent from their own.
A key point in this book is when a list of topics safe for discussion between the white and black man appears, and perhaps more tellingly, those that were taboo, including white women, the Civil War, attitudes of northerners towards blacks, the Republican party, etc. The list of permitted topics numbers only two - sex and religion, and one gets the sense that those two topics are discussed in the most basic and base fashion. To me, this symbolized the inability and unwillingness of white and black to connect in any meaningful way. A very important passage in this book deals with religious intolerance, and the attitudes of the un-religious, that are feared by the supposedly God-fearing. Those who deviate from the simplistic manner of thinking of Wright's family and his religious circle pose a threat to their very existence.
In the end, this is a brutally honest work, as Wright does not shirk the issues of violence, hate and abuse within his own race, much as he does not forgive the white attitudes that ultimately shaped his own resistance and thinking in such a profound way. He regularly took a stand, regularly bucked the system, and therefore has won his way into affecting the sensibilities and ideas of thinking people everywhere. His words and emotions will resonate with me forever.
Rating:
Summary: Black Boy
Review: This is my favorite book. I was inroduced to during my Junior or maybe Senior year in high school. We only read the firts part of the books, before he get our of the south. After that I had to go to the library and finish the book outside of class. I LOVED IT.
Rating:
Summary: Good autobiography
Review: This is Richard Wright's autobiography, but it reads like a novel. VERY LONG, first of all. But, it deals with the (much-dealt-with) history of discrimination in the South. I think it gets more interesting when he goes to the North and becomes a communist.
If you like "native son" or "invisible man" you'll probably like this. Read those first though.
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