3. Describe themes in the novel and trace their development throughout the text.

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1 Separate, but Equal? Throughout the South from 1876 to 1965, laws, known as Jim Crow laws, created legalized segregation. African-Americans attended different schools, ate in different restaurants, rode in the back of buses, and were forced to use separate drinking fountains and public restrooms than whites. Be a Better Reader As you work through the study guide for Black Boy, you ll also practice these skills, which will help you when you read novels in the future, for school assignments or just for fun. 1. Describe the development of the main character. 2. Discuss how the plot develops throughout the novel. 3. Describe themes in the novel and trace their development throughout the text. 4. Cite textual evidence to support discussion of the novel. 5. Discuss how point of view affects the content of the novel. Behind the Scenes Richard Wright grew up in Mississippi as the son of an illiterate farmer and a teacher. After leaving the South in the 1920s, he found himself in Chicago during the Great Depression. During the 1930s and 1940s, Wright became an active member of the Communist Party, later leaving the party and moving his family to Paris. Richard Wright is best known for his novels Native Son (1940) and Black Boy (1945). Get This! 1. Black Boy is an autobiographical novel told from the point of view of a young man who escapes the Jim Crow South to become a writer in the North. Think about how the novel would differ if told from the viewpoint of one of Richard Wright s family members in Mississippi. 2. Wright s autobiography sheds light on the Jim Crow South. As you read, think about how it must have felt for a young, African-American man to grow up in that environment. 3. Black Boy possesses numerous symbols. Be sure to notice and try to figure out the symbolism of Ella s infirmity and the optical shop in Memphis.

2 The Plot Richard Wright s Black Boy follows the author s journey from a farm in Mississippi to Chicago during the Great Depression. As you read, fill in the boxes for each element of the novel s plot.

3 The Main Character In Black Boy, Richard Wright tells his own life story with its pain, embarrassment, and abuse in the form of an autobiographical novel. For each of the instances below, identify a passage about or a quote by the author. Then discuss what the author is trying to convey through it. Look for a pattern that describes the author and write a few sentences about him. Example 1. Richard experiences poverty and hunger (Part 1, Ch. 1) Passage about or Quote by Richard Wright What the Author is Trying to Convey 2. Richard becomes frustrated that he possesses no employable skills. (Part 1, Ch. 7) 3. Richard realizes the power of words. (Part 1, Ch. 13) 4. Richard is uncertain of how successful he can be writing for the Communist Party. (Part 2, Ch. 19) 5. Richard decides to use words as his weapons. (Part 2, Ch. 20) Summarize the character of Richard Wright:

4 The Setting In Black Boy, Richard Wright uses the settings of Mississippi, Memphis, and Chicago to convey his experiences with poverty, politics, and racism. Use the spaces below to describe the setting in the novel. In the first column, type or write direct quotes from the novel phrases and sentences that are used to show what it s like throughout the work. In the second column, explain in your own words how these passages contribute to the novel s setting. An example has been completed for you. Direct Quote Related to Setting To keep us out of mischief, my mother often took my brother and me with her to her cooking job... Soon I was drunk. (Part 1, Ch. 1) Your Explanation Richard ate the leftover food. The whites in the bar often got young Richard drunk for their entertainment.

5 Tracking Themes What message is Richard Wright trying to communicate in Black Boy? The main themes in the novel involve racism, the power of words, and the individual vs. society. See if you can identify and analyze those themes. Step 1: What parts of the plot seem related to a possible theme in the novel? (Think about the main conflict and how it get resolved or worked out.) Step 2: Which characters seem related to a possible theme? Which characters change, and what do those changes suggest about racism, the power of words, and the individual vs. society? Step 3: How does the author use symbols to hint at the novel s themes? What objects, people, or places stand for something bigger in the story? Step 4: What does the novel s title suggest about the novel s theme? Step 5: Write one or two of the novel s main themes in your own words.

6 Talk About It What do you think about Black Boy? How did you feel about Richard Wright as a narrator? How do you think it would have felt to have lived in the Jim Crow South? In the space below each question, write an answer based on your own experiences and your own understanding of the novel. Include some textual evidence or examples that helped you arrive at your answer. 1. Black Boy is told from the point of view of Richard Wright, the author of and main character in the novel. How reliable of a narrator do you think he is? How do you think the novel would differ if it was not autobiographical? Textual Evidence or Examples: 2. Richard Wright grew up in the rural South in an extremely challenging time in American history. How do you think it would have felt to be African-American in the Jim Crow South? How do you think it would have felt to be white in the same place and time period? Textual Evidence or Examples:

7 Represent! Show what you know about Black Boy and its relevance to your life. Choose one of these projects to complete and share with your teacher, classmates, and others. Choice 1: The Segregated South Examples of racism abound throughout Black Boy. While many of these examples occur in the legally segregated South, Wright also experiences racism during his time in Chicago. Create a Powerpoint presentation which discusses the ways that the society in the novel legalized and reinforced. Be sure to address the legalized segregation of the South, as well as the racism inherent in people s actions and opinions in the North. Choice 2: The Author Himself The novel centers on Richard Wright s struggles against racism as he tries to make his way in the world. While Wright shares a lot with the reader, perhaps he does not tell the reader everything he is thinking. Create and perform a monologue as Richard Wright to try to gain more insight into Wright as a character. Be sure to write your monologue in the form of a play.