Richard Wright's Self-Portrayal in BLACK BOY

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.

Autorentext
Togolese English teacher, Certified Translator-Interpreter, Dr Malou LADITOKE was born on March 29, 1980 at Sokodé in Togo. He studied at the University of Lomé where he got his Maîtrise in 2009, and Master II in 2017 in American literature. He defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Kara in 2021 under the supervision of Larry AMIN.