Richard Wright’s Self-Portrayal in BLACK BOY. A Call for African American Awakening

      Аннотация: Slavery, racial oppressions and discriminations in America have gotten a tremendous harmful impact on African Americans’ psyche. As a result, they lost their self-confidence, self-esteem and besides developed manifold shortcomings and vices. African Americans’ quest for a positive self-image, their rights, the restoration of their dignity, and identity are unremittingly the concern of many writers among whom, Richard Wright. In his autobiography, Black Boy, he depicts himself as an uncommon Black, who not only debunks racism, rejects any authority, but also castigates his race fellows’ flaws. Basing on reader-response theory, this essay argues that Wright uses creatively the narrator’s life in Black Boy in order to awaken Blacks from their torpor, shortcomings and to incite them to action. Still, they need to fight for their genuine liberty, equality to other races and their self-fulfillment.

Ключевые слова: black boy, African American, Richard Wright, awakening, Childhood