Black Boy is a memoir composed by Richard Wright in 1946 that tells story about his childhood and adolescence. He illuminates theme of race and racial discrimination through the eyes of a mischievous and inquisitive child who literary and figuratively feels constant hunger for everything. Although, his social and financial status push him into various adversities depriving him from basic things like food his mental and intellectual worlds enrich with every hardship thus presenting him with food for thought. Moreover, in this memoir author presents reader with unique opportunity to look at the US society of the beginning of the twentieth century from an unusual perspective of a total misfit who cannot find his place in this world. Moreover, due to that fact that Wright often changed his place of residence reader sees how notion of race and its treatment work in different parts of the US thus elucidating huge social and class gap between whites and blacks. It should be mentioned that modern the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her novel Americanah makes similar insights into theme of race and hardships of integration into American society which takes place in modern world that seemed to overcome racial issues. This novel tells story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who writes anonymous blog where she shares her integration experience and observations about race in the US. At the first sight one may say that these two books are similar only in their theme of race and integration issues into American society; however, with closer look one may see that they both appeal to reader`s emotions and make him/her question racial issues from different perspectives thus broadening one`s views on race perception. Moreover, Americanah`s and Black Boy`s divergent ways of narration present reader with different approaches to experience and question themes of racism, race and hardships of integration. In order to see how different ways of narration address theme of race in these books and what impact they have on a reader one should analyze Americanah and Black Boy.
It should be mentioned that Chimamanda Adichie`s novel Americanah and Richard Wright`s memoir Black Boy are two different but at the same time similar pieces of literature. United by theme of race issues these two writings differ in their way of telling stories which evoke different reactions in a reader. For instance, in Americanah author introduces reader to a young Nigerian woman who due to political situation in Nigeria was forced to move to the US in order to start a better life. Ifemelu is an author of a popular blog called Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black where she writes different observations about race. It should be mentioned that in this novel story is told by a third-person narration. There is an evident voice of some independent and objective narrator who observes Ifemelu`s life thus presenting reader with observations about an observer. It is evident from the beginning of a novel, like in this description of her activity “If they asked what she did, she would say vaguely, “I write a lifestyle blog.” (Adichie, 2013, p. 10) Such way of narration reminds watching a documentary about an interesting or famous personality which is aimed at presenting facts and experience gained by this person rather than make viewer feel something. It should be mentioned that this novel makes reader question modern social treatment of representatives of different races in the US rather than evokes some particular feelings that have a lasting effect. By loud and provocative lines or chapters it addresses sensibility more than sensitivity. Furthermore, due to the vignettes this novel may give a suggestion of reading a blog that is comprised by numerous posts that illuminate some issue or describe some curious situation. Interestingly, that these ‘posts’ reveal not only issues of integration into foreign society along with racial struggle but also it sheds light on Ifemelu`s life and personality, again making reader trace and observe issues of identity and integration. Slight detachment and separation between reader and narrator help better elucidate Ifemelu`s disintegration and experience of racial issues because it provides explanation and additional descriptions of her feelings, thoughts, situations she was in and observations which create a perfect base for analyzing one`s identity issues or perception of race by an average American.
On the contrary in Richard Wright`s memoir Black Boy reader is led through tough depressing years of Wright`s maturing by a first-person narration. Constant usage of pronouns like “I”, “my” and “me” blurs lines between a reader and narrator thus making first fully experience and participate in life of Wright. For instance, “I walked home slowly, asking myself what on earth was the matter with me, why it was I never seemed to do things as people expected them to be done” this line shifts Wright`s emotional state on a reader thus making one fully involved in protagonist`s actions and his perception of the family. (Wright, 1945, p. 230) Moreover, writer`s explicit and sonorous way of conveying emotional states and worries have a colossal effect on reader which deepens reader`s empathy and gives opportunity to walk in author`s shoes. A perfect example of manipulation with reader`s sense`s and emotions can be found in these lines “Again and again I vowed that someday I would end this hunger of mine, this apartness, this eternal difference.” (Wright, 1945, p. 51)
Point often overlooked is that beautiful and rich lexicon makes Black Boy not only complex and extremely pleasant to read but also adds to its representation of Wright thus highlighting his successful and painful establishment as a talented writer. Intricating word choice broadens reader`s perception of situation due to its detailed description.
In contrast Adichie uses a lot of Nigerian colloquial expressions and words like “o rika, biko” or “O na-eji gi ka akwa” which create perception dichotomy (Adichie, 2013, p. 161-183). On the one hand drops of the Nigerian language complicate reading of this novel to those who are not familiar with this particular language which shifts roles and makes non-Nigerian readers integrate into Nigerian culture, thus undergoing language barrier that is described in this novel, for instance description of racist expressions. On the other hand this usage of native language makes Nigerian speakers relate to the reality of Americanah which brings experience of this novel on more personal level.
Significantly that memoir Black Boy creates a dual perception of the story in reader`s mind due to its way of narration. This autobiography can be treated as a direct talk with Wright who shares some memories and thoughts from his youth. Moreover, these pieces of memories or life situations are not only amusing and interesting but also give opportunity to feel the spirit of that historic period with its racist flavor. Moreover, writer`s travels from the South to the North illuminates not only his changes in personality and his establishment as a writer but also depict directly opposite perception and treatment of race. For instance, in a joking manner writer enumerates long list of themes that southern white men did not like to discuss with Negroes and at the end of enumeration he concludes that “any topic calling for positive knowledge or manly self-assertion on the part of the Negro. The most accepted topics were sex and religion.” (Wright, 1945, p. 114) As can be seen representatives of the South treated people of color like primitive creatures who are good only for breeding and worshiping someone beyond them, someone with authority. This quote perfectly and accurately describes the mentality of the Southerners who are stuck in the antebellum traditions and racial envision of the world. Unlike the Northerners who are more advanced in terms of race perception. It should be highlighted that Wright does not provide reader with evaluation, analysis or interpretation of different situations, on the contrary, he tells story subtly as if trying to encourage further conversation with a reader and share his impressions or observations. Unlike Adichie who evaluates and analyzes events that heroine of her novel witnessed. His vignettes bear not only personal experience of disintegration and racist experience unfolding on the historic background but also morals that are left for a reader to muse on.
Another key point is that these two books have different characters and setting but they are similar in highlighting notion of segregation and disintegration. In Wright`s Black Boy one sees that protagonist`s inability to fit into society without losing his identity is caused by social norms and historical background that celebrate segregation and racial superiority/inferiority. Moreover, Chimamanda Adichie`s Americanah portrays the same segregation which is brought on the new level. For example, her letter to Non-American Black subtly illuminates theme of segregation that was substituted by another notion entitled ‘tolerance’ thus she states that division between black people and white remained the same it only changed its form “We all have our moments of initiation into the Society of Former Negroes. Mine was in a class in undergrad when I was asked to give the black perspective, only I had no idea what that was” (Adichie, 2013, p. 165) This lines indicate that there is still segregation that is dressed in tolerance and respect of other races which still separates people on two camps “we” and “them”. Moreover, the same as Wright, Adichie lays out bitter truth about people of color stating that “And admit it—you say “I’m not black” only because you know black is at the bottom of America’s race ladder. And you want none of that.” (Adichie, 2013, p. 165) Moreover, these two authors present insights into world of racism and disintegration that, unfortunately, refuses to disappear.
All things considered, these two books differ mostly in a way of narration that illuminates issue of racism and race from divergent angles. Although, Black Boy and Americanah depict integration into American society way of narration makes reader more empathetic and involved in memoir Black Boy because of excessive usage of pronounces “I”, “me” and “my” that blurs lines between narrator and a reader. However, it should be mentioned that in Americanah reader gets feeling of observing a situation or reading a blog that illuminates some issue that awaits to be discussed in comments. Moreover, divergent in setting and characters these books are similar in theme illumination which is gained with the help of vignettes that may be treated as examples from life that highlight illogical point of racism and caused by it hardships of integration into American society.
References
Adichie, C. (2013). Americanah. Toronto: Knopf Canada.
Wright, R. (1945). Black boy. New York: Harper & Bros.
