Black Boy by Richard Wright
Ch. 1
1. How did the house catch fire? Why was Richard so reluctant to be found?
2. What happened with the kitten? Why did Richard’s mother punish him in the manner that she did?
3. What does Richard realize about his father and food? How is his new sense of hunger different from what he
had been used to?
4. Why does the mother force him to fight?
5. What is the significance of the children “with their faces smeared and their breath reeking” (19)?
6. How does Richard become an “alcoholic”? How is he cured?
7. How does Richard use education and language as an escape from reality? As enrichment of his understanding
of reality?
8. Reread page 23 and evaluate Richard Wright’s opinion on the social construction of race?
9. What does the judge’s ruling show about the role of women in this era?
10. Describe the home, and Richard’s feeling about running away, returning, and then leaving.
11. Why refuse the nickel?
12. Looking back as an adult, Richard forgives and understands his father. Why? Do you agree? Hint! Look at
pg. 34-35.
Ch. 2
13. What is Granny like? What does she think of novels, and why?
14. Who is Ella, and why is she important?
15. Analyze the following quote:
“ The tale made the world around me throb, live. As she spoke, reality changed, the look of things
altered, and the world became peopled with magical presences. My sense of life deepened and the feel of things
was different, somehow”(39).
16. What kind of “hunger” does Richard face at his Grandmother’s house?
17. Describe the incident in the bathtub. Why is everyone so upset? Who ultimately takes the blame?
18. What are Richard’s questions on the train about? What do they represent about a child’s perspective?
19. Analyze the following quote:
“ ‘They’ll call you a colored man when you grow up,’ she said. Then she turned to me and smiled
mockingly and asked: ‘Do you mind, Mr. Wright’” (49).
What is it that his mother is holding back?
20. Predict what it might mean that Wright says his “leaving would be [his] first baptism of racial emotion”
(49).
21. What happens with the biscuits?
22. What are Aunt Maggie and Uncle Hoskins like? What happens to Uncle Hoskins? To Aunt Maggie?
23. How old is Richard at this point, and what is his schooling like? (55)
24. Which war are the soldiers going off to fight?
25. What are the “strange, striped animals” Richard sees? (57)
26. What is the neighborhood in West Helena like?
27. Describe the relationship between the black community in West Helena and the Jewish community.
28. Why does Wright make a point of explaining “we black children, poor, half-starved, ignorant, victims of
racial prejudice, would sing with a proud lilt…” (61-62)
29. What kind of business is going on in the flat (apartment) next door? What does Richard see?
30. Who is the “uncle” and why does he have all of that money? Hint: What do we find out when he needs to
leave town?
31. What happens to Betsy? What is the mother’s reaction?
32. What is the point of all the “If…” sentences?
33. How and why is Richard’s understanding of race relations changing? Discuss specific examples.
34. What year is it at the end of chapter 2?
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Chapters 3-9
Ch. 3
1. Why is it so important to Richard and his friends to use the word “nigger” and look down on playing with
girls?
2. Early in the chapter, the boys say white folks are born mean, but then Wright discusses the role society plays
in developing the concept of race. Reread page 83 and examine the relationships between the white and black
boys in this community. What causes them to develop these attitudes?
3. Why does the family move so frequently?
4. What happens to Richard’s mother?
5. Why does Richard refuse food?
6. What will happen to Richard’s brother? How does he feel about it?
7. Why does Richard want to leave Uncle Clark and Aunt Jody? What happens to make things worse, and why
can’t Richard explain his reason for using such language?
8. What impact does his mother’s illness have on Richard’s life?
Ch. 4
9. Who is Aunt Addie? Why does she punish Richard in class?
10. Why does Richard attempt to attack Aunt Addie with the knife? Is he justified?
11. What is “popping the whip”?
12. When Richard is 12, who is his first crush?
13. Why doesn’t Richard believe in God the way his Grandma and the boy from school do?
14. Describe the circumstances of “the greatest shame and humiliation” of Granny’s religious life.
15. What is Richard’s first story about?
Ch. 5
16. What, besides the stories he reads, turns out to be in the newspapers Richard sells?
17. Why does Granny fall?
18. What is Richard’s second job?
19. Why can’t Richard’s Grandpa get his pension? What happened to him in the war?
Ch. 6
20. Why does the first white women ask Richard if he steals? Why does he quit, and why doesn’t he tell his
family?
21. What is life like at the second job?
22. Why does he begin to attend church with his mother?
23. Why does he feel disgusted and “trapped” during the service? What does he do and why?
24. What happens with Uncle Tom?
Ch. 7
25. What year is it? How old is Richard?
26. What happens to Richard while he is working as a waterboy?
27. What is “The Voodoo of Hell’s Half Acre”? How do Richard’s classmates react? His grandmother? His
mother?
28. Describe the metaphor Richard uses at the end of the chapter to describe his life?
Ch. 8
29. What happens to Ned Greenley’s brother Bob? Why?
30. What does Richard realize about himself when he hears his Uncle Tom talking to his cousin Maggie? How
does it show his maturity?
31. What happens when Richard’s brother comes home?
32. What happens with the graduation speech? What are the consequences?
Ch. 9
33. What do the boss and his son do to the women? How do the policemen react?
34. What happens with the bicycle, and why does Richard get beat up?
35. Why does Richard get fired? Why does Griggs set him up with Mr. Crane about the job at the optical store?
36. Why doesn’t Richard report Pease and Reynolds to Mr. Crane? How do they trap him? Why can’t Mr.
Crane help?
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Chapters 10-14
Ch. 10
1. Why does Richard struggle to keep a job? Why don’t the other black boys his age struggle as much as he
does?
2. How do the boys Richard works with at the hotel conform to stereotypes?
3. Explain the situation with the watchman and the reactions of both Richard and the girl?
4. What is Richard’s new goal in life? Why is it so important to him?
5. What is the motivation for Richard to steal? For him to refrain from stealing?
6. How does Richard obtain enough provisions and money to leave for Memphis? Explain the job at the movie
theater and the late night adventure.
Ch. 11
7. What is Mrs. Moss like? What is Bess like? What is Richard tempted to do? Why doesn’t he?
8. Explain the last two sentences of the chapter?
Ch. 12
9. What is Shorty’s strategy for getting money?
10. Why do Richard and Harrison fight each other? Why do Mr. Olin and the other white men want them to?
What does it symbolize?
Ch. 13
11. What does Richard discover about words and reading? (pg 248-249)
12. What is the new feeling of hunger Richard talks about?
13. What are Richard’s options in life? Why does he choose to go North?
Ch. 14
14. Why does Richard lie about leaving?