A Short Review of Wright’s Black Boy

Book Title: Black Boy (American Hunger)
Author: Richard Wright
Parts: Two
Chapters: Twenty
Subject: Autobiography, Nonfiction.
Originally Published: 1945

For a young adult who's lived all his life in Ghana, Richard's Black Boy gives me an insight into what it felt like to be black within the southern states of twentieth century America.

This is a memoir in which the author accounts to his readers his struggles, losses and triumphs as a youngster growing up in the very racist south of America: Mississippi, Arkansas,Tennessee and his later move to Chicago where he ends up getting caught between fellow communists after series of struggles in making a career path out of writing.

Divided into two parts, the first part of this work, Southern Nights covers his childhood days in the south; on the contrary, the second part, The Horror and the Glory deals with his adventures and perilous adulthood transitions.

This has been my favourite and most read memoir ever since I laid hands on it. It's been with me for six years and I've read it from cover to cover thrice. I'm especially intrigued by how it mirrors certain significant parts of my childhood life effortlessly and the writer's writing prowess.

Wright has a way with words that I see nobody rivalling; not now nor in the future. He, especially with this work, does well in evoking emotions with his narrative and makes it a point to capture situations as they ought to be: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Looking at contemporary happenings in the United States -- and in extension the world -- and how alienated black people have been forced -- yet again -- to feel, this is a work I know a lot of people will identify with and find solace in.

There is his atheism and fortitude in a purely puritanical home. His studiousness and rebellion in the face of catastrophic happenings also makes it very useful in our contemporary society. Heck, I learnt rebellion from this work. Healthy rebellion. And this has stayed with me through the toughest of times.

It comes highly recommended from me. A solid 4.5 stars -- biased but yeah 😴-- for what it means to me and my constant struggles to survive this wilderness we call life. I’ll end this short review with a quote from Wright with hopes that it’ll be relatable enough to suck you into the abyss of the black boy.

"The meaning of living came only when one was struggling to wring a meaning out of meaningless suffering."