Thursday, March 6, 2008
How Much Different from Slavery?
Throughout the course of this book, Wright has had to learn 'how to live in the south,' meaning the implied measures of conformity that blacks are expected to follow in regards to their mannerisms and to whites alike. They had to act with a sense of reverence to whites, and Wright learns this the hard way when he is beaten because of his forgetting to call a white man "sir." Also, Wright knew that any further complications between himself, Reynolds, and Pease would more than likely result in his further injury. It is the entire set of unwritten rules that blacks had to follow that made up the code of how to live in the south. This is literal, as not following these rules could very well result in death.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I agree with your statement that Griggs is telling Wright how to survive in a world that is out to get him. If he doesn't he only brings pain and misery down on himself. I liked your reference to the Reynolds and Pease incident. Because Wright for got one simple word he was beaten and forced out of a job. Its scary to think of a world where just being yourself can get you beaten or killed
Nick,
This idea of 'living in the South' is something very difficult for Wright to comprehend. And that's unfortunate because, as you've said, not following these rules could result in death. I see Wright's dilemma here (he has many) because he doesn't want to conform to the idea of black vs. white in society. But, in order to survive, he has to do so. As Tony has also said... I'm glad you mentioned Pease and Reynolds because that was a perfect example. Wright was trying his best to be "black" but he made one slip and it could have cost him his life.
Post a Comment