The Importance of Language in Richard Wright’s Novel, Black Boy :: Wright Black Boy Essays

The Importance of Language in Richard Wrights Novel, Black sonWords are powerful things. They can be used to cause or destruct. In the novel Black Boy, Richard Wright discovers this fact after schooling inspirational works written by a valet named Mencken. It is at this point in his life where he understands the importance of quarrel. Wright qualifies the idea that dustup is an important key to identity and social acceptance using figures of linguistic process and warrants.A rhetorical technique used by Wright is this passage is that of metaphors. For example, when describing Menckens effectiveness he uses phrases such as he was using haggling as a weapon. This simile conveys to the reader just how powerful the freshly experience was for Wright. Richard wondered if he would ever be able to create something so significant. Although the idea seemed frightening at first, Wright was able to fight using his words in the end. In addition, to extend the metaphor of words being weap ons, the utter language on the page is so full of disgust that Wright gauges Mencken had slashed it with his pen. This image gives convincing recite that Mencken was extremely irate with his society. His sword is the pen and his words are the blow. Those who are witness to this duel are those who are effected by its cuts. Readers begin to realize just how important language is to identity and beliefs. Richard Wright utilizes evidence to create an ethos appeal for his readers. For instance, he doubts his literary choice once he reads the title of the book given to him Prejudices. In his personal experience those that had spoken this word were not entirely right, according to him. He toys with the idea that this man (Mencken) is mistaken he, himself, looked to have been mistaken. Wright made an unjustified conclusion about this writer judging by the single word on the cover of a book. If one word could bring up such emotion from this boy, imagine what a whole slew of these words would create in their wake. Mencken was not accepted by his race due, impart, to his beliefs.