DEVELOPMENT AS SEEN IN RICHARD WRIGHT’S
BLACK
BOY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ANTONIUS AGUNG PRIHANTARA
Student Number: 994214086
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS F A C U L T Y O F L E T T E R S
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY Y O G Y A K A R T A
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS... v
ABSTRACT... vi
ABSTRAK ... vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION... 1
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation ... 3
C. Objective of the Study ... 3
D. Definition of Term ... 4
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW 5 A. Review of Related Studies ... 5
B. Review of Related Theories... 7
1. Theory of Character and Characterization... 7
2. The Relation between Literature and Psychology ... 9
3. Theory of Personality Development ... 12
4. Theory of Setting ... 22
C. Theoretical Framework... 23
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY... 24
A. Object of the Study ... 24
B. Approach of the Study ... 25
C. Method of the Study... 25
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS... 27
A. The Social Environment of Richard Wright as Seen in the Novel ... 27
B. The Influence of Family and Environment toward Richard Wright’s Personality Development... 36
1. The Influence Richard’s Family towards His Personality Development ... 36
2. The Influences Environment toward Richard Wright personality Development ... 60
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ... 72
DEVELOPMENT AS SEEN IN RICHARD WRIGHT’S BLACK BOY. Jogjakarta: English Letters Department, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis discusses the work of Richard Wright’s, Black Boy , in this novel Richard Wright presents a life story of a black boy name Richard Wright from his early childhood until his early youth. Based on the Psychological theory, a person always faces developments and one of them is the personality development. This thesis analyzes the influences of family and environment to the personality development of the main character Richard Wright.
There are two problem formulations in this analysis. The first will give picture on the environment where Richard Wright spends his time during his early childhood until early youth. This is important to recognize the environment that influences his personality development. The second problem tries to explore the influences of family and environment through the characters in the story that becomes the representation of those two factors, this last problem is formed to reveal the influences of family and environment in Richard Wright’s personality development.
This thesis employs library research as the method of the study. The psychological approach was applied in this thesis because the topic deals with the aspects of human development.
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Thesis ini membahas karya Richard Wright ,Black Boy .Dalam novel ini Richard Wright menampilkan kisah hidup seorang anak kulit hitam yang bernama Richard Wright dari anak –anak sampai awal remaja. Berdasarkan pada teori psikologi , seseorang selalu mengalami beberapa jenis perkembangan dan salah satu dari hal tersebut adalah perkembangan kepribadian. Thesis ini menganalisa pengaruh –pengaruh dari keluarga dan lingkungan terhadap Richard Wright dalam perkembangan kepribadiannya.
Ada dua perumusan masalah yang digunakan pada analisis ini. Masalah pertama akan memberikan gambaran tentang lingkungan tempat Richard Wright tinggal selama masa kanak-kanaknya sampai masa remajanya.Hal ini penting untuk mengenal lingkungan yang mempengaruhi perkembangan kepribadiannya. Masalah kedua mencoba untuk menyelidiki pengaruh keluarga dan lingkungan melalui karakter-karakter dalam cerita yang mewakili kedua factor tersebut. Masalah akhir dirumuskan untuk mengungkap pengaruh keluarga dan lingkungan kepada Richard Wright dalam perkembangan kepribadiannya.
Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam tesis ini adalah studi pustaka . Pendekatan psikologis diterapkan dalam tesis ini karena pokok bahasannya terkait dengan aspek-aspek perkembangan manusia.
A. Background of the Study
Two aspects (individual and social) are concerned in human life. The individual aspect covers some natural process such as personality development. In this growing process, the individual aspect will be influenced by the social condition happen around him, for example: family and environment. Hurlock in her book en titled Child Development (1974:19-20) states that there are three major factors in determining the development of the personality pattern: first, the individual’s heredity endowment; second, early experience within the family; third, important events in later life out side the home environment. The heredity endowment provides some potential in heritage from parent. Whether it will develop as good or bad potentials depends on the family and environment. The second and the third are the parts of social aspect, the individual personality development is never apart from the social condition around him because family and environment where the individual lives will always have roles in determining one’s personality development.
(1953:144). Then in the book entitled Humanistic Psychology John Cohen stated the great influence of family in individual personality development
The significance of these early experiences is al the greater because they determined the subsequent relationship which the child will form .He never really leaves his family. He carries it with him through life as a kind of invisible framework, a prototype for all the later relationships that he will form. He will continue to assess him self at the appraisal he received from his parents, and his judgments of other will very largely be projections of his own self-judgment so acquired (1958:54).
Those aspects happen in Richard Wright’s personality development in the autobiography entitled Black Boy, which is written by Richard Wright himself. Harper and Brother Publishers in United States was first published the Autobiographical novel in the year 1937.
Black Boy was named among the top 25 non-fiction works of the century, Richard Wright's Black Boy has made a strong impact on American literature with its strong commentary on the cultural, political, racial, religious, and social issues of 20th century American society. It is often describe as a superb example of subtlety-crafted narrative describing Wright's journey into adulthood. Many critics question whether the book should be considered pure autobiography or fiction, particularly because they doubt the accuracy of Wright's recollection as well as because of its novelistic style. But it is agreed that the book monumentalizes an important piece of American, as well as African-American culture
and environment around him. This study aims to find the influence from his family as the major factor and environment as the minor factor in Richard Wright childhood until early youth.
B. Problem Formulation
Having presented the background of the study, in the followings are presented the problems, which are going to be analyzed in this study. They are some questions that will be answered throughout this thesis, in order to make it better.
1. How is the social Environment of Richard Wright as seen in the novel?
2. How do the family and the environment influence the development of Richard Wright’s personality as seen in the novel?
C. Objective of the Study
Firstly, this study will explore the condition of Southern African -American people in United States in that period, as seen in the novel. In order to get a better understanding on the social condition, which greatly influenced Richard Wright personality development as the member the society.
something happen around him in his environment and to find out the change in the way Richard view the environment around him.
D. Definition of Term
In this section the writer wants to clarify some terms that the writer uses in this thesis. The first term is development. According to Craig’s Child Development, it can be defined as the changes in thought and behaviors of a person influenced by either biological or environmental factors (1979:9). Further, Craig conveys that there are some developments such as parental growth, physical changes that are influenced by biological factors, how ever, there are also developments that depend highly on the environment, for example one’s personality development (1979:10).
A. Review of Related Studies
Some critics have criticized Richard Wright’s Autobiography “the autobiography uses techniques so well usually reserved for fiction that many experts question if these events are nonfiction. When read as such, however, Black Boy sparks many emotions that are sometimes lost in today's society, where racism is perhaps not as overt as it used to be”
(http://www.teenink.com/Past/2000/November/Books/BlackBoy.html).
Elizabeth Schultz in her critical essay entitled To be Black And Blue: The Blues Genres in Black American Autobiography, explained that Richard Wright’s Black Boy is the history of imagination compare to Henry James’s description on his own Autobiography.
The history of (an) imagination; so might Richard Wright have called Black Boy. Beginning a long list of purely natural sensory experiences early in the autobiography, Wright notes that “Each…. spoke with a cryptic tongue “two more such lists follow, the last one a list of superstition involving natural phenomena Wright seems, in making such lists as a boy, to be seeking for the organizing principle in the phenomenal world. Which would give him the means for understanding and controlling it. His interpretations are inevitably emotional in terms of his delight, nostalgia, melancholy, disdain, alarm, and glory, panic (1981:118-119).
autobiography. The criticism shows Richard Wright’s Black Boy can be categorized as fiction.
Then the other criticism as quoted from the Internet also gave explanation about the subjectivity and high selective of the novel Black Boy, which makes it, can be categorized as fiction work.
Most readers agree that Black Boy is a highly selective account, more selective than the term "record" in its subtitle suggests. At the time Wright wrote Black Boy, he was already an accomplished author of fiction. He had published a collection of short stories called Uncle Tom's Children and the highly successful novel Native Son. Wright chose carefully the experiences he includes in Black Boy, the ones he highlights, and the tone in which he writes about them. Many readers even think that he invents some of the incidents. Most agree, however, that Wright crafts his autobiography for the precise impact he wants
(http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/blackby2.asp#chr).
Taryl Savage from Herndon, VA in her essay gives comment that the novel Black Boy gave a natural description of African American person and it has a strong effect toward the reader.
world today as a young afro-American. Just telling of all the events that he went through shows how much one can do with very little opportunities. Overall, Black Boy is a very powerful book and should be read by teenagers all across the country (http://www.Amazon.com/criticism/Black Boy.html).
Most of the criticism above discussed Black Boy in term of autobiography, although there some question about the narrative style which Richard Wright’s use and the accuracy of the work as an autobiography. These facts show the fiction side and subjectivity of Black Boy .The writer is interest in Richard Wright’s Black Boy as fiction work .The writer in the thesis is going to analyze the personality development of the main character Richard Wright under the influence of his family an the environment around him, not as the real person who is the author Richard Wright’s but as the main character in the fiction work. The criticisms above are use in this thesis in order to give clear picture on the analysis that the writer does. The writer is finding something new from the analysis in the thesis that the writers work.
B. Review of Related Theories
In order to make the finding in the analysis theoretical justify, the writer would also apply some theories to be the basic guidance. Those theories are the theory of character, theory of characterization and theory of personality development.
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
they say-the dialogue- and by what they do-the action”(1981:20). According to him, a major character can be the center of the story. He or she is the most important character in the story. Usually, the acts of the story are focused on this character from the beginning to the ending parts. The core of the story is highlighted to this character’s experience. Minor character appears in certain setting, just to become the background for the major character. Their roles are less important than those of the major characters are because their roles in the story are just to support the development of the major character (1981:20).
Murphy in Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English poetry and the English Novel for over seas student states that there are nine ways in which the author presents his character. Those way are:
a. Personal Description
We can find out the nature of the character from the author’s description about his /her character appearance.
b. Character as seen by another
Besides, we can know the character’s nature through other eyes and also comment on his/her nature.
c. Speech
d. Past Life
A person’s past life can shape his/her nature. We can find out the character’s past life by the author direct explanation, the character’s thoughts and conversation of other
e. Conversation of Other
The conversation of other people and the things they say about him/her can give a description of the character’s nature.
f. Reactions
The person’s nature can be known by his/her reactions to different occasions g. Direct Comments
The author describes the character by his/her own direct comments on the character’s nature.
h. Thoughts
The nature of the character can be known from what he/she is thinking. i. Mannerisms
We can understand the character through the way in which he/she behaves and talks when he is with other people (1972:161-173).
2. The Relation between Literature and Psychology
give clear explanations on the relation between literature and psychology, in order to make the study clear and understandable.
David Willbern in his essay “Reading after Freud” explain Psychological criticisms of literature are not something new. The argument between Plato and Aristotle about the value of myth and drama is fundamentally a conflict between psychological assumptions about mimesis. Plato argue that the composition (inspiration) and, by inference, the reception of poetry were kind of madness. Because poetry encourages the emotions and weakened reason. He also stated that poetry should be banned from ideal stated. Aristotle in his argument toward Plato explains, the same energies of enactment and response were therapeutic (art of healing) or catharsis (give a strong emotion through the work of art) that allowed the controlled expression of powerful feelings. Versions of this ancient argument still persist beneath modern disputes about the place of psychoanalysis in literary studies (1989:1590).
mean the psychological study of the writer, as type and as individual, or the study of psychological types and laws present within works of literature upon each readers (audience psychology)” (1956:81).
Then according to Rene Wellek and Austin Warren, there remains the question of ‘psychology’ in the works themselves. The character in the novels and plays are judged by us to be ‘psychologically true’ .The psychologically true itself raise a question whether such ‘truth’ is an artistic value. The psychological truth is sometimes corroborates important artistic values, those of complexity and coherence (1956:92). The situations are praised and the plots are accepted because of this same quality. Sometimes a psychological theory, held either consciously or dimly by an author, seems to fit a figure or a situation.
Two aspects are revealing in the relation between literature and psychology. Firstly, it related to the author. Wellek and warren explains that it is a creative process and an inspiration of the writer of the author to create the literary works. Secondly, It is about the work it self. The characters can be analyzed using psychological approach. The psychological approach can also be applied on the plot or situations. There are a lot of studies analyzing the psychological aspects in the literary works, for Example the study on the characters personality development, behavior and the other studies .The literary works enable the researchers to analyze the psychological aspects presented in its.
an autobiography novel but the fiction side of the novel makes the writer interesting to analyze it using psychological approach. The main purpose of this study is studying the influence of family and environment toward Richard Wright personality development as seen in Richard Wright’s Black Boy.
3. Theory of Human Personality Development
Hurlock in her book entitled Personality Development stated that an individual’s personality pattern is the product of learning during the course of social relationships with people both within and outside his home. Furthermore, she describes that there are three major factors, which determine the development of one personality pattern. The first is the individual’s hereditary endowment, the second is the early experiences within one’s family, and the third is important events outside one’s home environment. Thus one’s personality pattern is not product of learning exclusively or hereditary exclusively. However it comes from an interaction of the two, in other word, behavior learned in child hood may later be changed by direct training or by altering one’s environment (1974:19). Byrne and Kelley (1981:87) consider one’s Personality as a dynamic process for it can change through out one’s life. Further, they state that personality change can occur when there is a condition that leads the new emotional, informational or responses (1981:533).
new stimulus conditions. Therefore, he then may behave in a totally new way, it means that new emotions may be formed and new attitudes develop moreover, Bryne and Kelley An Introduction to Personality, point out that when an individual is faced to new facts, there may be dramatic changes in the info-belief system, new expectancies, and perhaps new emotional responses and attitudes as well (1981:523).
In fact, the personality development can be influenced by some factor. Horton and Hunts say that the factors that can influence the personality are heredity, physical environment, and culture (1987:114). Heredity is an inherent factor from our parents, what is meant by physical environment is the environment around us such as our parents, friend, and other people. Culture in the society presents some experiences, which are experienced by the people in the society.
While according to Justin Pikunas in his book Human Development: An Emergent Science, the growth of individuals is divided into two big influences. They are hereditary influence and environmental influences. Environmental influences include physical environment, family, peers as models, and education for life, and community, Let us understand the factors that can influence the personality one by one
a. The Hereditary Influence
b. Physical Environment
Physical Environment is concerned with environmental ecology, food, and chemicals. The rapid population growth causes pollution problem, which is increased without good handling, the environment will be worse. The damaged environment causes the bad quality plants, some can also cause cancer included in food.
c. Family
Living in the household with the parents and the children is called a family. In family, we are taught to socialize and also taught about values .A family is formed from two persons who have the same commitment of living together and officially recorded in a marriage institution. The family is the most minimum size group in society.
Furthermore, Light and Calhoun in their book entitled Sociology say:
The family is the primary agent of socialization for children, who are in process of developing fundamental values and learning about social relationships. For many years the family serves as the foremost agent of socialization in a child’s world (Claudia Parks/stock market) (Light, 1989:124).
A family is an agent to formed from several families who live together in a place. An individual grows in family. An individual tries to face the fact or the reality and the problems so that in the future the individual can easily adapt to the society. It cannot be denied that a family is also a factor of one’s. Light and Calhoun also state: The family introduces a child into society, locating him or her on the Social
family status has a strong effect on how neighbors, teachers, and others see that child (Light, 1989:124).
According to Justin Pikunas, a family is formed by marriage and blood relationship “The family is enduring social group based on marriage and blood relationship, exercising hereditary and environmental influences of prime dimensions on the offspring”( 1969:60).
The emotional condition and social development of the children are influenced by the mother’s attitude” The psychosocial development and emotional security of the child are based on the mother’s reasonably consistent, patient, and tender care. Each year of full-time mothering tends to pay large dividends to both mother and children” (1969:61).
d. Peers as models
For many people, associates with peers are very pleasuring. They have the same needs because they are at the same age and maturity. They share their problems together, the peers can also influence their feeling.” Most persons enjoy associating with those who are similar in age, maturity, and status” (1969:66).
e. Education for life
Children’s education is influence by the condition of the family. Children from rich family will have a better education than the children from poor family” Many children from the lower income brackets are socially and culturally disadvantaged and greatly in need of regular preschool training to fill gaps in their cognitive and social experience so that they can respond properly to the demands of school” (1969:67).
f. Community
Some one’s growth is also influenced by the community. Community’s life, which has high social s status, is different from community’s life, which has middle or low social status (1969:73).
From six theory of Personality Development that the Writer quote from Justin Pikunas in his book Human Development: An Emergent Science, the Writer used Peers as models, Community, and Family.
a. Authoritative parents is typical of parenting who are high in both warmth and control. These parents tend to be caring and sensitive toward the children but set clear limits and maintain a predictable environment. Children of these parents generally are the most curious, self-confident, academically successful and independent
b. Authoritarian parents is a parenting style who are low in warmth but high in control. These parents are very demanding, exercising strong control over their children’s behavior and enforcing their demands with threats and punishment. Most children do not respond well to this approach. Children of authoritarian parents often are really upset, displaying moodiness, aggression, and conduct problems (Vasta, 1995:476).
Elizabeth B.Hurlock in her book Child Growth and Development explained the importance of early environmental toward children personality development.
In as much as most personality traits are learned, the child’s early environment plays an important role in determining what they will be. Also, because the child environment during the early years of his life is limited to his home, the members of house hold are the people who are of primary importance in determining what sort of person he will be. The only other influence on the child’s personality development during the early years is the nursery school or kindergarten. The influence of the children in the neighborhood is of secondary personality development because in these early years he child does not actually play with other children, he plays parallel to them. Furthermore his contacts with them are few and sort, as compared with his contacts within the home. As child progresses in years however, playmates become progressively more important in the development of his personality, and the influence of the home decreases in importance (Hurlock, 1956:232).
Elizabeth Hurlock in her other book entitled Personality Development explains that besides the influence of family, one’s personality is also shaped and influenced by their environment in which the individual lives. This means that people out side the home may have a role to shape one’s personality (1974:234). Adults outside the home may also affect young children’s social attitudes and behavior. When children associate with people older than they are, they will strive to keep up with them, and by doing so, develop more mature patterns of behavior than their age mates (Hurlock, 1974: 234).
Hurlock explains that the ways environment influences one’s personality pattern can be as follows:
This is done by providing models for the individual to follow. It may occur direct directly and indirectly. The direct way is done by providing opportunities for learning the approved patterns of behavior and by preventing the learning of disapproved patterns. Indirectly the environment influences the individual by setting up a model for him to imitate and by making the models became so prestigious that the individual will want to imitate them.
b. Studies of Learning Opportunities
The shaping of personality pattern from environment can come from learning. The learning may be “inner-directed” or “outer-directed”. In inner directed learning. The learner take “imitate is putting forth the effort needed to achieve end result that he feels is valuable to him”(1974:83). While outer-directed learning is “instructed by some one else who motivates the learner to continue his practice. Until he has mastered the desired pattern of behavior”(1974:84).
From Elizabeth Hurlock two Theories in the influence of environment toward personality development in Her book Personality Development the Writer used Studies of Models and Studies of Learning Opportunities.
Duane Schultz in her book entitled Growth Psychology: Models of the Healthy Personality, there are seven stage of the self, or proprium, unfold from infancy to adolescence according to Allport.
a. Bodily Self
Gradually, through increasing complex learning and perceptual experiences, a vague distinction becomes clearer. The Bodily self stages happen at the ages of 15 months .The example of a Bodily Self is the infant’s distinguishing between its fingers and an object held in its fingers, this is the first step toward achieving total selfhood. Allport called it “a lifelong anchor for our self awareness”; although it is far from being the person’s total self.
b. Self –identity
Self-identity is the second stage of the self-development. In this stage the child becomes aware of its continuing identity as a separate person. The child learns its name; Allport felt that the most important aspect of self-identity is a person’s name. It becomes the symbol of one’s existence, identifying one’s self and distinguishing it from all the other selves in the world.
c. Self-esteem
with one’s peers. In this stage central on the emergence of self –esteem is the Childs need for autonomy from its parent.
d. Self-extension
Self-esteem begins at the ages of four. The child has become aware of other people and objects in the environment and the fact that some of them belong to the child. The child is learning the meaning and the value of possessiveness as embodied in that marvelous word “mine”. While at this age the circle of the objects and people identified, as “mine” is limited, the process by which larger entities (such as country, career, or religion) become “mine” is now established. This is the beginning of the person’s ability to extend his or her broadly to include things but also abstractions, values, and beliefs.
e. Self-image
The self-image refers to how the child sees itself, the opinion it holds of itself. This image develops from interactions between the parents and the child. Through praise and punishment, the Childs learn that its parents expect it to display certain behaviors and avoid others. Parents usually call the child “good” in response to some behaviors and “bad” in response to others.
f. The Self as a Rational Coper
g. Propriate Striving
Propriate Striving is the last stage in the development of selfhood, which appears in adolescent. According to Allport the adolescent is a particularly crucial time. The person is engaged in a renewed quest for self –identity, quite different from the one at age two. The question “Who am I?” is rise. Pushed in different directions by parents and peers, the adolescent experiments with masks and roles, testing the self-image, trying to find an adult personality. The most important aspect of this search for identity is the definition of life-goal. The significance of this research is that for the first time the person is concerned with the future, with long- range goals and dreams (Schultz, 1977:13-15). From seven seven stages of the self, or proprium by Allport that quote in a book entitled Growth Psychology: Models of The Healthy Personality written by Duane Schultz the writer used Self Esteem theory, Self-image ,and Propriate Striving.
4. Theory of Setting
According to Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms stated that the setting of narrative or dramatic work who is the general locale, historical time, and social circumstance in which its action occurs; the setting of an episode or scene within a work is the particular physical location in which it takes place (1981: 175).
elements that give the reader an abstract impression of the environment in which the characters more. The setting is usually provided by the prevailing conditions
(1953: 1984). From these explanations the writer can conclude that the important elements making up setting in works of literature are place, time, the environment and social condition.
C. Theoretical Framework
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study in this thesis is a novel entitled Black Boy, which
who is Richard Wright, and how his family and the environment around him influence his personality development.
B. Approach of the Study
To analyze the problem formulation presented in the previous part, the writer would apply psychological approach. The reason the writer chooses the psychological approach in this study, because in dealing with the development of one’s personality, it is necessary to deal with psychological aspect. For this reason, applying a psychological approach is necessary. According to Lewis Leary in A Study and Research Guide “A psychological approach is an approach that applies principles of modern psychology to characters or situations within a work of literature or to the person who wrote that work” (1976:57). By applying psychological theories of personality development, a better understanding of Richard Wright personality development under the influences of his family and the environment from childhood until early youth as seen in the novel can be achieved.
C. Method of the Study
Significance of Sula’s Family In Shaping Her Anti Social Personality In
A. The Social Environment of Richard Wright as Seen in the Novel
The novel Black Boy uses the first person narrative style since the analysis of the social condition of African American people is based on the author’s explanation through the main character Richard Wright. The social condition of black people in that era as seen in the novel is full of injustice especially from the white people. The social condition, of black people is very down under. There are many discrimination treatments against them as the minority. In the first chapter Richard describes where he lives with his parents after their house has burned, they live in the slum area in Memphis. This picture shows the life of black people in southern states that have a very poor economic condition. In page 9 Richard states “In Memphis we lived in a one-story brick tenement. The stone buildings and the concrete pavements looked bleak and hostile to me. The absence of green, growing things made the city seem dead. Living space for the four of us-my mother, my brother, my father, and me-was a kitchen and a bedroom”(p.9).
and culture heritage although it is full of discrimination and against humanity. It can be seen in Richard’s narration about the "bleakness" of black life in America and about the isolation of blacks from the "spirit of Western civilization."
Whenever I thought of the essential bleakness of black life in America, I knew that Negroes had never been allowed to catch the full spirit of Western civilization that they lived somehow in it but not of it. And when I brooded upon the cultural bareness, love, honor, loyalty, and the capacity to remember were native with man. I asked myself if these human qualities were not fostered, won, struggled and suffered for, preserved in ritual from one generation to another (p.33).
Some black people have a traditional and limited interpretation in their religious belief, which makes them difficult to accept something new, for example literary works. It can be seen in the strict religious belief of Richard’s Grandmother that prevents Richard from reading a novel because it is a sin. For Richard’s grandmother who is an Advent Christian believer, everything that is not according to the Bible is sin and banned. Fictions like novel are the work of devil. It is happen when granny is angry because she finds Ella reading a novel for Richard, and it is a sin according to her. The story explains, “You stop that, you evil gal!” she shouted. “I want none of that Devil stuff in my house!”(p.35).
business. He had been threatened with death and warned many times to leave, but he had wanted to hold on a while longer to a mass money.” This murder shows that the injustice faces by black becomes a part of their life. Although they are right, the condition of racial prejudice toward black in the southern causes them to become helpless.
Richard Wright shows the poor condition of blacks neighborhood where he lives with his mother after moving from his grandmother’s house. They live in a very slum community that is very uncomfortable to stay at. It shows the condition of black people who is in avertedly omitted and neglected in the southern states.
We rented one half of double corner house in front of which ran a stagnant ditch carrying sewage. The neighborhood swarmed with rats, cats, dogs, fortunetellers, cripples, blind men, whores, salesmen, rent collectors, and children. In front of our flat was a huge roundhouse where locomotives were cleaned and repaired. There was an eternal hissing of steam, the deep grunting of steel engines, and the tolling of bells. Smoke obscured the vision and cinders drifted into the house, into our beds, into our kitchen, into our food; and a tarlike smell was always in the air. (p.52)
As the consequence of being seen as belong to second class, they develop race sentiment toward other race, their race sentiment mostly toward Jews beside white people and that race sentiment becomes an aspect of the culture in black people, it can be see in page 53,“ All of us black people who lived in the neighborhood hated Jews, not because they exploited us, but because we had been taught at home and in Sunday school that Jews were “Christ killers”. Then Richard shows that it becomes their culture heritage.
parents generally approved, either actively or passively. To hold an attitude of antagonism or distrust toward Jews was bred in us from childhood; it was not merely racial prejudice it was a part of our cultural heritage (p. 54)
In this quotation Richard explains that the racial sentiment from black to other race seem to be approved by the older people and this reveals that the race sentiment is part of social condition of black in southern.
Black people in the Southern states just becomes a second-class people and they do not have the same right as whites .The evidence that black and white people are separated each other like in public facilities. For example Richard saw for the first time that there are separation between blacks and whites in the train.
For the first time I noticed that there were two lines of people of people at the ticket window, a “white” line and a “black” line. During my visit at Granny’s a sense of the two races had been born in me with a sharp concreteness that would never die until I died. When I boarded the train I was aware that we Negroes were in one part of the train and that the whites were in another (p.41)
The government policy is very injustice toward black people. For example, this injustice happen to Richard’s Grandfather who had fought for the union army in the civil war. But he never got his pension right from the government. ”From Granny I learned-over the course of years-that he had been wounded in civil war and had never received his disability pension, a fact which he hugged close to his heart with bitterness” (p.121).
In the process of being discharged from the Union Army, he had gone to a white officer to seek help in filling out his paper. In filling out the papers, the white officer misspelled Grandpa’s name, making him Richard Vinson instead of Richard Wilson. It was possible that Grandpa’s southern accent and his illiteracy made him miss pronounce his own name (p.121).
The worst illiteracy of southern black especially happens in plantation region. When Richard visited the plantation region in order to sell the insurance, he sees the real condition of southern black people that is left behind. He was astonished by the condition of those people whose very uneducated. In his narration he stated, “I was astonished at the ignorance of the children I met. I had been pitying myself for not having books to read, and now I saw children who had never read a book” (p.119). Richard also explained how naïve the people in the plantation area that they buy the insurance form just on purpose to become like him that can read and write. “Many of the naïve blacks families bought their insurance from us because they felt that they were connecting themselves with something that would make their children “write’n speak lak dat pretty boy from Jackson” (p.120).
man is not man enough if he doesn’t dare to have the clap (gonorrhea). The limited knowledge of black makes something that should be shameful becomes a pride.
“Haven’t you been to a doctor?” I asked. “Aw, hell. Them doctors ain’t no good.” “ Don’t be foolish,” I said.
“ What a matter with you?” he demanded of me. “You talk like you’d be’shamed of the clap”.
“I would,” I said.
“Hell, you ain’t man ‘less you done had it three times”, he said (pp.172-173). In the novel, White people do not really consider black people as human. The whites think the black people just a slave or even worst, as a working animal. This happens when a dog bites Richard in his working place, a construction work. “If it bothers you, let me know,” he said. “But I never saw a dog yet that could really hurt a nigger” (p.143).
Richard Wright in page 148 explains that the freedom of black people in southern were limited, marked off. “I knew that I lived in the country in which the aspirations of black people were limited, marked- off ”. Richard Wright also explains that the system is supported by the southern government through the discrimination law to prevent the black people to have an equal right to the white.
I was feeling the very thing that the state of Mississippi had spent millions of dollars to make sure that I would never feel; I was becoming aware of the thing that the Jim Crow laws had been drafted and passed to keep out of my consciousness; I was acting on impulses that the southern senators in the nation’s capital had striven to keep out of Negro life (p.148).
being. Often do they treat them just like an animal or a slave. This ruthless act, toward black people can be seen in the situation when Richard Wright sees a Negro woman who got a sexual abuse just because she is not pay her bill for the clothes she had bought from the white’s store where Richard works. “A frightened black woman sat between them. They got out and half dragged and half kicked the woman into the store. White people passed and looked on without expression”(p.157). It seems that the southern people are accustomed to see it as part of their life as she should be punished for what she had done. “ A white Police man watched from the corner, twirling his night; but he made no move” (p.157). For no clear reason, the woman was captured by the police after being physically abused by the storeowner “later the woman stumbled out, bleeding, crying, holding her stomach, her clothing torn. When she reached the side walk, the policeman met her grabbed her, accused her of being drunk, called a patrol wagon and carted her away”(p.157).
a black boy announced that he aspired to be a writer, he would have been unhesitatingly called crazy by his pals”. Everything that they want to do must depend on the approval of the teacher or older people. The students or young boys usually must accept it without question. This becomes one of black cultural heritage under the whites power. Because of that factor, if a black boy wants to do something different not as the society wants him to act, there is usually disagreement increasing against his decision. This condition can be seen when Richard must give a speech for the graduation in his school. He wants to use his own speech but the principal wants him to just read the speech, which the principal has written for him. The principal thought that he has more experience than Richard about how to live in the place that is dominated by white people. According to him, Richard must compromise if he wants to survive in southern. The principle also uses threat in order to make Richard believes him.
“My amazement increased; the man was afraid now for his job!” “Professor, you don’t understand me.” I smiled.
“You’re just a young, hot fool,” he said confident again.
“Wake up, boy. Learn the world you’re living in. You’re smart and I know what you’re after (p.154)
hallway” (p.173). The black in the southern, as seen in the novel seems to accept those abuses in order to avoid lynching from the white people.
Richard Wright sees that there are some decreases in black humanity. The conditions of black people causes them to bow silently under the white power. If the white give them their limited right, the black people accept it without question but if the whites people make them suffer with their injustice and discrimination. The black people usually angry and show their hatred toward the white people but this hatred and anger are just temporary, because their life is very dependent on the whites.
If the white man had sought to keep us from obtaining a job, or enjoying the rights of citizenship, we would have bowed silently to his power. But if he had sought to deprive of a dime, blood might have been spilt. Hence, our daily lives were so bound up with trivial objectives that to capitulate when challenged was tantativemount to surrendering the right to life it self. Our anger was like the anger of children, Passing quickly from one petty grievance to another, from the memory of one slight wrong to another (p.201).
The restricted attitude toward whites becomes part of their culture. The black people in Richard’s environment were afraid to the whites. In southern, the black people must accept everything they got from whites without question because it can cause danger if Negroes dare to question the whites and act like equal human being.
No Negroes in my environment had ever thought of organizing no matter in how orderly a fashion, and petitioning their white employers for higher wages. The very thought would have retaliated with swift brutality. So, pretending to conform to the laws of the whites, grinning, bowing, they let their fingers stick to what they could touch. And the whites seemed to liked it”(p. 175)
they rebel toward whites, it is just a kind of suicide and it makes the whites ill treatment become worst. In his narration Richard explains,
I could fight the southern whites by organizing with other Negroes, as my grandfather had done. But I knew that I could never win that way there many whites and there were but few blacks. They were strong and we were weak. Outright black rebellion could win. If I fought openly I would die and I did not want to die. News of lynching were frequent (p.221).
Many Southern Negroes, because this decrease condition, like to transfer their extreme dislike with each other among the black people themselves. In page 221 Richard Wright explains that it becomes one of the black people’s way out from the pressure and hate against the white people. “I could drain my restlessness by fighting with Sorty and Harrison. I had seen many negroes solve their problem of being black by transferring their hatred of themselves to others with black skin and fighting them”. From above explanation the social environment of Richard Wright that very limited in every aspect of his life because the lack of education, inferiority, and Discrimination. This factors make Richard personality tend to be Rebellious, Depressed, independent, difficult to adapt, independent, and want to improve his quality of his life.
B. The Influence of Family and Environment towards Richard Wright’s Personality Development as Seen in the Novel
1. The Influence Richard’s Family towards His Personality Development
make noise, because his grand mother is sick. And he is very afraid to make noise even though he wants to play, but the warning from his mother makes him afraid. “All morning my mother had been scolding me, telling me to keep still, warning me that I must make no noise. And, I was angry, fretful, and impatient”(p.3). Although Richard is obedient toward his mother, on other hands, his mother strict rules also initiate his rebel toward older people. This strict rules cause Richard to start to rebel toward his parent although he is still a young boy. Richard’s rebellion toward older people especially his mother is not clearly seen in the surface, but he hide it inside and he just showed it to his brother. This happens when Richard feels bored for not being able to have pleasure by playing with what ever he likes because his mother prohibited him to play. He finds something fun by burning straws although it will burn the house. This rebellion is seen by Richard’s argument towards his brother when he started burning straws and his brother does not agree with him.
“Don’t do that,” he said “How come?” I asked
“ You’ll burn the whole broom”, he said “You hush,” I said
“ I’ll tell,” he said.
“And I’ll hit you,” I said (p.4)
life. Further, they state that personality change can occur when there is a condition that leads the new emotional, informational or responses (1981:533)
The influence from his parents especially his mother in his personality is seen in the punishment toward Richard for burning the house. This shows the strict rules from his parent toward Richard that will shape his personality development until his adolescent. “I was lashed so hard and long that I lost consciousness. I was beaten out of my sense…………..(p.6) In this age, Richard personality tends to be an obedient child that accepts his parents punishment as something that he deserves to get as the effect of his act. It can be seen when Richard got punishment for writing a bad word in his neighborhood windows. He has punished of writing bad words, although he does not know the meaning of the word he has written. The punishment from his mother is the way to make him learn that what he has done is wrong, and he must not repeat it. In the line with Alport’s explanation, through punishment, the child can learn, that their parents expect them to display certain behaviors and avoid others. Parents usually call the child “good” in response to some behaviors and “bad” in response to other (Schultz, 1977:13). It can be seen in his narration,
“Now, scrub until that word’s gone,” she ordered.
The strict parenting rule of Richard’s mother has indirectly changed his personality to be rebellion. Meanwhile, the divorce of his parent and the changing status of his mother as the head of the family make the young Richard to develop his personality to feel different from the other children. After his parents’ divorce, Richard learns about having responsibility and he tries to take care of himself. Richard Wright grows up as an ordinary child who always playing and no need to worry about the reality in his life, especially the condition in his family. This time he must change himself to be more independent. There are some changes in Richard personality when he realizes that he became different from another child that his father has left their family and never gives them income. He feels that he became different unlike he used to be. The absence of his father in his life very influences his personality especially in his way of thinking and forces him not to act as an ordinary child .In page 14 Richard explains “that we now had no father, that our lives would be different from those of other children, that we must learn as much as possible to take care of ourselves, to dress our selves, to prepare our own food; that we must take upon ourselves the responsibility of the flat while she worked. Ach hime solemnly”. Another strong influence from his mother in his childhood is clearly seen when Richard teach how to go shopping for food although he is bothered by the naughty boys in the neighborhood. They take his money first he is helpless but because his mother encourage him then he decide to fight against them. His mother give him lesson how to survive in the real world.
“I’m going to teach you this night to stand up and fight for your self”.
She went into the house and I waited, terrified, wondering what she was about. Presently she returned with more money and another note; she also has along stick.
“ Take this money, this note, and this stick”. She said. “ Go to the store and buy those groceries. If those boys bother you, then fight.”
I was baffled. My mother was telling me to fight, a thing that she had never done before.
There are some changes in Richard’s personality, from a child who has a comfortable life, and being supported economically and mentally, by his mother’s tender care and protection, to a stronger and more independent person. In other words, Richard has been developed from a spoiled and weak person to be independent and tough. This is because Richard has been neglected by his father. This shows his mother’s influence in Richard’s personality that has changed his dependent and weak personality to be a though and strong person although he is still very young. As Bryne and Kelley, in their book An Introduction to Personality point out that when an individual face new facts, there may be dramatic changes in the info-belief system, new expectancies, and perhaps new emotional responses and attitudes as well (1981:523).
food because he thinks his mother has neglected him. In the line with Byrne and Kelley’s opinion, it is believed that the early year of life is important to form the basis for an adult personality. However, there is no final personality. It is because later experiences can modify the effects of the early experiences (1981:523). It can be seen in the novel that there is a kind of indirect influence toward Richard’s personality development especially his perception toward religion. It will continue to affect his view toward religion until his early youth.
I looked at her appealingly and could not answer. A piece after piece of chicken was eaten, I was unable to eat my soup at all. I grew hot with anger. The preacher was laughing and joking and the grownups were hanging on his words. My growing hate of the preacher finally became more important than God or religion and I could no longer contain my self. I leaped up from the table, knowing that I should be ashamed of what I was doing, but unable to stop, and screamed, running blindly from the room (p.23).
Richard Wright gets his influence about his independent spirit in religion from his mother. His mother does not agree with granny’s conception on religion and her practice at home. The indirect influence from his mother is especially in his rebellion to his granny’s religious view. The influence can be seen in Richard’s narration about his mother disagreement with Granny concerning the Religion practice in Granny’s home that there is a very strict rule of leaving Granny’s house,
muttered at each meal; and her declaration that Saturday was the Lord’s Sabbath and that no one who lived in the house could work upon that day (p.52).
Richard’s Personality has changed into frightened and insecure when his mother’s health gets worst. It is because Richard’s is very dependent toward his mother. Because of that his mother’s illness influences his personality development from feeling safe, because of his mother protection into feeling unsafe, because his mother’s bad condition:
My mother, her health failing rapidly, spoke constantly now of Granny’s home, of how ardently she wanted to see us grow up before she died. Already there had crept into her speech a halting lisping quality that, though I did not know it, was the shadow of her future. I was more conscious of my mother now than I had ever been and I was already able to feel what being completely without her would mean. A slow rising dread stole into me and I would look at my mother for long moments, but when she would look at me I would look away. Then real fear came as her illness recurred at shorter intervals. Time stood still. My brother and I waited hungry and afraid (p.73).
about them. I had already begun to sense that my feelings varied to far from those of people around me for me to blab about what I felt” and he also explain how it make him more mature in personality than other children, “I ached to be of an age to take care of my self”(p.86). This condition is approved by Bryne and Kelley that state personality change can occur when there is a condition that leads the new emotional, informational or responses (1981:533).
Richard’s mother’s suffering condition really influences him especially his personality development in his childhood. Her condition that become worst and worst makes him feel very sad, and shocked this happens when she is going to be operated in the hospital as the only option. It can be seen in, “Uncle Edward left to make arrangements for a room and a nurse. I felt crushed. I waited”(P.86). Richard become helpless, suspicious and sensitive in emotional because of her mother’s condition.
At the age of twelve I had an attitude toward life that was to endure that was to make me skeptical of everything while seeking everything, tolerant of all and yet critical. The spirit I had caught gave me insight into the sufferings of others, made me gravitate toward those whose feelings were like my own, made me sit for hours while others told me of their lives, made me strangely tender and cruel, violent and peaceful.
From the explanations above, it can be seen that his mother long time illness has made Richard, as a child, to be different from other boys. Richard who is still a child has been shaped by the reality around him, developed as a sensitive child from an ordinary child that still childish in his personality to become a child, who is mature before his time. It can be seen in his point of view toward life and the reality around him.
His mother never ending suffering because of her sickness has caused Richard to become more respectful and also fear toward her condition. This factor influences his rebellious personality against all in his life and he feels helpless to face it. It can be seen in his narration,
I had to watch her suffer, listen to her groans, powerless to help. I used to lie awake nights and think back to the early days in Arkansas, tracing my mother’s life, reliving events, wondering why she had apparently been singled out for so much suffering, meaningless suffering, and I would feel more awe than I had ever feel rebellious against all life (p.136).
proved that Richard’s mother is a strict and discipline woman who also loves Richard. Referring to Vasta’s theory, Richard’s mother’s love shows her affection toward Richard Wright, which can be classified as parental warmth. On the other side, the discipline attitude of Richard’s mother’s can be classified as the parental control. RossVasta et.al. in their book entitled Child Psychology the Modern Science state that Authoritative parents are high in both warmth and control. These kinds of parents tend to be caring and sensitive toward the children but set clear limits and maintain a predictable environment. Children of these parents generally are the most curious, self-confident, academically successful and independent (Vasta, 1995:476).
he makes, because he does not want to make her mother that always supports and very important in his life to feel sad if he refuses her hope. Richard feels his independent spirit is limited. He feels depressed for the situation that he faces, but he is glad that by joining with his mother’s religion faith, he can be accepted in the community where he lives, and it has given him a big influence in his personality development from a person that is very skeptical and independent in spirit as a youth. He must adapt his personality because he becomes part of the real community. In Richard’s life his contribution in the community is through Richard baptism in his mother’s religious believe. Although Richard feels that it betrays his belief and idealism, the close relationship between Richard and his mother has caused Richard to indirectly obey his mother’s wish and he does not want to make her sad if he refuses to join her religion. This influence from his mother changes his personality from a person that is very rebellious and contradictory with other people around him into an obedient person. It can be seen from his willingness to join the religion that he always refuses to believe. Richard becomes a more adaptative person than he is before. It is because his mother great pressure that makes Richard changes.
Calhoun has stated in his theory that the family introduces a child into society, locating him or her on the social map (1986:124). In the other book, Calhoun explains “ family is the primary agent of socialization for children, who are in the process of developing fundamental values and learning about social relationships”(1989:124). This condition happens in Richard’s personality, although he feels sad and angry, his mother’s wish has directly and indirectly made him as individual to be accepted as the member of his community by joining her mother’s religion faith and Richard feels that he gets benefit from it. Then according to Hurlock in her book entitled Personality Development stated that an individual’s personality pattern is the product of learning during the course of social relationships with people both inside and outside his home. The first is the individual’s hereditary endowment, the second is the early experiences within one’s family, and the third is important events outside one’s home environment. Thus one’s personality pattern is not a product of learning exclusively or hereditary exclusively. However it comes from an interaction of the two, in other word, behavior learned in child hood may later be changed by direct training or by altering one’s environment (1974:19).
The Influence of Granny toward Richard Wright
She has no faith in Richard's abilities, and instead disciplines him through physical punishment. Granny is a deeply religious woman who seems to be genuinely worried about the state of Richard's soul. She is always ready to aid a family member in need, and she takes in Richard and his brother during Mrs. Wright's illness. But her conception of Richard's welfare does not consider his happiness an important issue. Much of Richard's rebellious spirit personality seems to develop from his struggle against Granny's rules.
and to manipulate and change that environment. Allport believed this stage is very important stage of development; if parents frustrate the child’s need to explore, the emerging sense of self-esteem may be damaged. Feeling of humiliation and anger can result. (Schultz, 1977:13-15).
The feeling disagreement can be seen in Richard’s argument with his Granny about his interest in novel.
“ But I liked the story “, I told her.
“You’re going to burn in hell,” she said with such furious conviction that for a moment I believed her (p.35). Although temporary Richard obey that strict rule but the curiosity forces him to disobey Granny rules. It can be seen in his narration after his Granny’s anger to him:
I vowed that as soon as I was old enough I would buy all the novels there were and read them to feed that thirst for violence that was in me, for intrigue, for plotting, for secrecy, for bloody murders. So profoundly responsive a chord had the tale struck in me that the threats of my mother and my grandmother had no effect whatsoever (p.35).
This condition that is faced by Richard is a part of his search of personality as individual who tries to find the true personality identity that is free from his Granny’s religious order. This is shown by his rebellion and skeptical views toward his Granny’s believe. His Granny’s directly and indirectly has changed his personality from an obedient child that is full of curiosity into a rebellious personality. Richard shows this rebellious personality through his contradiction with his Granny and it is become a part of his personality development into adolescent personality.
Richard’s position in the household is viewed as being the unwanted and the sinner one by his Granny:
My position in the household was a delicate one; I was a minor an uninvited dependent, a blood relative who professed no salvation and whose soul stood in mortal peril. Granny intimated boldly, basing her logic on God’s justice, that one sinful person in the household could bring down the wrath of God upon the entire establishment, damning both the innocent and the guilty, and on more than one occasion she interpreted my mother sickness as the result of my faithlessness. I became skilled in ignoring these cosmic threats and developed a callousness toward all metaphysical preachments (P.90).
I would go into the dining room upon some petty errand and find Granny kneeling, her head resting on a chair, uttering my name in a tensely whispered prayed. God suddenly everywhere in the home, even in Aunt Addie’s scowling and brooding face. It began to weigh upon me. I longed for the time when I could leave. They begged me so continuously to come to God that it was impossible for me to ignore them without wounding them. Desperately I tried to think of some way to say no without making them hate me (p.101).
The minor position of Richard in the Granny’s house has changed Richard’s personality from a dependent into an independent personality. Allport, in his Self Esteem Theory as quote, from a book entitled Growth Psychology: Models of The Healthy Personality written by Duane Schultz explains that, propriate striving is the last stage in the development of selfhood, which appears in adolescent. According to Allport the adolescent is a particularly crucial time. The person is engaged in a renewed quest for self –identity, quite different from the one at age two. The question “Who am I?” rises. Pushed in different directions by parents and peers, the adolescent experiments with masks and roles, testing the self-image, trying to find an adult personality. The most important aspect of this search for identity is the definition of life-goal (Schultz, 1977:13-15).
The Influence of Richard’s Father toward Richard Wright
and his family. When he is left by his mother in the orphan age house this trauma towards his father’s desertion rises “During the first days my mother came each night to visit me and my brother, then her visits stopped. I began to wonder if she, too, like my father, had disappeared into the unknown. I was rapidly learning to distrust everything and everybody”(pp.26). From that quotation, Richard tries to explain about the condition of his family at that time, really affects his personality changes and leads the new emotional, informational responses. (Byrne and Kelley, 1981:87).
being and my memory grew sharp, my senses more impressionable; I began to be aware of myself as a distinct personality striving against others. I held myself in, afraid to act or speak until I was sure of my surroundings”(p.26). The father’s desertions from Richard ‘s family has made Richard to be a sensitive child and difficult in relationship and communication with other people, this is because his bad experience with the divorce of his parent and his father irresponsible act by leaving his family in a bad condition. The influence of his father toward Richard is developed from the feeling of afraid toward him
He was the lawgiver in our family and I never laughed in his presence. I used to lurk timidly in the kitchen doorway and watch his huge body sitting slumped at the table. I stared at him with awe as he gulped his beer from a tin bucket, as he ate long and heavily, sighed, belched, and closed his eyes to nod on a stuffed belly. He was quite fat and his bloated stomach always lapped over his belt. He was always a stranger to me, always some how alien and remote (p.10).
his father looks very irresponsible toward his children. This fact has made Richard to become not care about him, as seen in his narration about his father:
After the court scene, I tried to forget my father; I did not hate him; I simply did not want to think about him. Often when we were hungry my mother would beg me to go to my father’s job and ask him to for a dollar, a dime, a nickel…. But I would never consent to go. I did not want to see him (p.24).
personality development to be a person that wants to improve his quality of life, unlike his father. Richard has changed his view from having hatred into the perception that his father is also important to make him to be an open minded person. “I forgave him and I pitied him as my eyes looked past him to the unpainted wooden shack” (pp.30-31). As explained by Justin Pikunas in his theory of personality development he said that the role of the father tends to give the protection and the discipline for the children. With the existence of the father’s discipline the father can guide the children to have an orientation to reality .The father teaches the children to view every thing as a reality “The father usually shoulders a major part of discipline and arbitration as children grow. By his authority and disciplined he stimulates their reality orientation” (Pikunas, 1969:62). That aspect has been lost in Richard’s life after his father left his family. Richard’s personality is developed to be more independent and open-minded, from a child that is always dependent toward his parent especially in his early child hood when his father and his mother are still together.
The Influence of Addie Wilson toward Richard Wright
toadmit, and for calling her Aunt Addie instead of Mrs. Wilson. She called him as an example of a sinner. Addie beats Richard in school for something he is not guilty of, sparking their antagonistic relationship. Murphy in his theory of characterization states that the character can give the clue to his nature through his speaking, conversation with other people, and opinion (1972:161-173).
“ I don’t know anything about that,” I said.
“ You know better than to eat in the classroom ,” she said. “I haven’t been eating,” I said.
“ Don’t lie ! This is not only a school,but God’s holy ground”, she said with angry indignation (pp.91-92).
In Aunt Addies opinion Richard just brings disgrace on her, especially because Richard’s family is a religious believer and the only person in the house that not is religious is Richard. Because of that, she is always hard to him. This can be seen in her dislike when Richard calls her “Aunt”,and not Miss Wilson like other student in the classroom used to call her.
“ Aunt Addie , my walnuts are here in my pockets…..” “ I’m Miss Wilson!” she shouted.
……..She was afraid that if I called her Aunt Addie I would undermine the morale of the students (p.92).
