Patient, Ben Period 5 October 26, 2011

Conformance
Richard was born different than the others. Thinking for himself, questioning the ways of society, and rebelling against the southern customs. Because most people like to keep to themselves, be "normal", and go with whatever they're told, he is not liked for standing out, especially as a black man in the 1922 south. Many people nowadays who act "abnormal" and dont follow the ways of others are called names, considered weird, and pushed out of the lives of the "normal" people. One of the overall themes in Richard Wrights autobiography, Black Boy, is that one must conform to the ideals of others to get along in society and achieve one's goals. Richard has a goal of getting north and being successful up there. But in order to achieve this he needs money, and to get money he needs a job, and jobs are given by white people. White people will abuse and fire one if they dont like one's attitude. Although they are wrong, Richard must conform to the white men's ideals to get along and achieve his goals. One problem that Richard is constantly struggling with is religion. In 1922 religion was a must. If one didnt believe in God one way or another, one were shunned and isolated from the norm. Richard does not believe in God. His family, especially Granny, are constantly urging him to pray and find God. "A religious revival was announced and Granny felt that it was her last chance to bring me to God .. The entire family became kind an forgiving, but I knew the motives that prompted their change and it drove me an even greater emotional distance from them"(113). In most religions God is a symbol of a powerful creator of the world. Many characters in the book claim to love and respect God, but they dont. They mistake their fear for respect. They fear God and what he can do so they say they love him out of fear. One of Richards friends tries to get Richard to believe in God. He says "if you are kind to Him, He is a

kind God, but God will not look at you if you dont look at Him"(115). Its inferring if one does not believe in God one will be punished. It is ironic how he says "look at Him", one can imagine God, and one can have a one way conversation with God, but one cannot see God. Also, it is ironic how it is called a religious revival, although Richard went to religious school and church, he never believed in God and was only going to avoid a whipping. So it's not really a revival. Granny is just using a euphemism to emphasize the importance of religion. In order to get along with his family and people in the neighborhood Richard must start believing in God. Although he does not believe he should try so that he can have a decent family life. Richard often has dreams of becoming things that the society of his time period would not allow. He dreamed of being successful in learning the optical trade, but white men ran him off. One of his dreams that he accomplishes is becoming a writer. When he talks to a white lady he works for about his dream of being a writer, she kills the dream by insulting him with statements like "you'll never be a writer" and "who on earth put such ideas into your nigger head" (147). The words "nigger head" are said, by the lady, as if there were a difference between a white and a black man's head. The irony in this is that Richard has twice the brains she does, and does become a very successful writer, later in life. Although, he does become successful at the time he needed a job to get north. On his way home after hearing these words he thinks to himself. "I knew I would not go back. The woman had assaulted my ego; she had assumed she knew my place in life, what I felt, what I ought to be, and I resented it with all my heart"(147). This was the way it was with all southerners and to get along in life, one must learnt o deal with it. One doesnt have to agree, but one must act along to get anywhere in life. Richard has always had a problem with holding a job. He goes from job to job and gets too sassy and gets run off by the white folks. Weeks after losing the job at the optical company,

he gets depressed and attempts to make a comeback. "I fought with myself, telling myself that I had to master this thing, that my life depended upon it. Other black people worked, got along somehow, then I must, must, MUST get along until I could get my hands on enough money to leave. I would make myself fin in. others had done it. I would do it. I had to do it"(195). By thing it means the acting around white people as to not anger them. The way he says this thing, it portrays it as a terrible, dark, cruel monster. Here he is trying so hard to convince himself to learn how to act and get north. He says to himself his life depends mastering this cruel beast, making it sound so evil. Which make one think that this thing, the mindset of the 1920's, is an evil monster that Richard must attempt overcome. Richard must conform to the white men to be successful and achieve his goal of getting north. In the end Richard gets somewhat north and meets interesting new people. He also never fully learned to conform to whites, but he did try and that is what counts. Him trying is what got him where he is today. He partially conformed to whites while keeping his own ideals, he was resilient to all the put downs he got, and became a writer.