Richard Wright shows hunger for many things in different ways throughout his memoir. He mainly hungers for education and independence.
Richard desires a good education for numerous reasons. It helps him escape from his home life and gives him hopes for a successful future. This hunger has a positive effect on Richard. Although it forces him to take a job despite his grandmother's wishes, the fact that he is expanding his mind and abilities now will help him in the long run (144). The only negative Richard's desire for education produces is that his home life becomes more tense with disagreements.
The hunger for independence also hangs over Richard. He wishes to explore the North, get a job, and move out on his own. However the reader sees there are things holding Richard back when he says, "Vague hopes of going north. But what would become of my mother if I left her in this queer house? And how would I fare in a strange city? Doubt. Fear" (161). Although Richard longs for independence he doesn't want to leave his mother and he has fears of being somewhere new. Overall, he still hopes of being on his own.
Although Richard's hunger can be taken as literal because he lives in poverty and has little to eat, it is more prominently shown throughout the memoir as desire for other things such as education and independence.
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4 comments:
Anne, good points on how Richard wants to go north and how that is another one of his hungers. The one thing that I found odd was that you said, "despite his grandmother's wishes" I think that Richard does the bare minimum that he can do so that his grandmother won't kick him to the curb. I don't think that he really cares what her opinion is or he would be extremely religious like her. Good point on how he hungers for independence.
Hi anne,
I agree that Richard hungers for independence and education, and especially food. Your entry was orgzanized and had plenty of support to back up your points! nice and see you at cc:)
Shara
Anne,
I thought that you did a great job of identifying the positive and negative effects of Richard's hunger. I agree that the negative effect of his hunger for learning is the arguments at home. Good job!
-Kelsey
Good job! Your ideas are very well developed with good textual support. I absolutely agreee with your ideas about Richard's desire to go North. I think his hunger for independence is still overshadowed by his hunger for affection from his family.
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