Analysis of the Story Entitled from Black Boy by Robert Wright - Book Report/Review Example

The literary convention that is used to analyze the short story entitled “from Black Boy” written by Robert Wright is the theme or the main idea in the story. After reading the short story, one realized that the theme is the surprising feeling of awareness or new discoveries in knowing the whites that the black boy, Richard, has discovered after reading different stories from the library. Being told from the point of view of the author himself, he possibly intended to make the readers aware of how he got to be interested in reading, which could also be the driving force for his next interest in writing.

The story, therefore, unfolded with the idea of the author in mind that he would reveal the facts that led to his interest in reading through using personal experience. At the start of the story, the narrator, who is also the author, told the story using the first ‘person pronoun ‘I’ and make it clear that there is already interest in reading because as he arrives in the office, he reads the newspaper: Commercial Appeal. As such, there is the use of symbols such as the newspaper to indicate interest in reading in the beginning.

Also, at the start, it was also revealed that the narrator, Richard, is not aware of many things since what he reads about the character named H.L. Mencken is little and only that this person “was the editor of the American Mercury” (Wright 634). So, as in any conventional story, it usually starts with the main character wanting to know more or is in a condition where more experiences are still coming to be expected. The next developments in the story also are consistent with the theme of discovering how the narrator, Richard, becomes interesting in reading through wanting to know more about Mencken.

  Also the theme emphasis the negro people being prejudice since it was stated that he would like to borrow a book in the library but knows that “Negroes were not allowed its shelves any more than they were the parks and playgrounds of the city” (Wright 635). The explanations give the readers the more clear meaning of the prejudice that the negroes feel, including Richard, the main character, and the narrator in the story. Therefore, there is a feeling of anxious to want to read about Mencken but do not know-how.

The literary convention also of dialogue between Richard and the character, Mr. Falk, used in the story to achieve the intent of wanting to borrow and read a book by Mencken. A dialogue between the narrator and Mr. Falk is shown as a need to get a library card as a way to borrow the book by Mencken by asking Mr. Falk if he can help. The dialogue is effective to achieve the objective of the character and contributes to the most needed way that Richard supposed to borrow a book for Mr. Falk as he remembers he did before.

The character showed his traits and characteristics in the story as revealed from dialogues and from his feelings. He is the black boy, he is interested to read, he knows many white men like his boss but does not know them very well before, that he accepts that as a negro he is familiar with prejudice; and that his character is very observing and analytic. He stated that “I weighed the personalities of men on the job” (Wright 635) which proves his observant. He is also determined and persistent since he talks to Mr.

Falk and not a shame to ask to borrow a book for him. Also, at the beginning he did not know many things as he says in the story: “I ran across many words whose meanings I did not know” (Wright 638). Then after reading many books, Richard says he learn many things: “the novels created moods in which I lived for days” (Wright 638); he learned that “there were feelings denied me; that every breath of life itself was beyond my reach” (Wright 639) was his final realization.

In conclusion, the short story of Richard, the author, and the narrator, told readers of how he discovered the new learnings and feelings from reading and that this started a new thirst to learn more and to eventually put what he discovered in writing. At the end of the short story, it was told by Richard that due to the awakening he felt from reading, there had been feelings of wanting to write: “I bought a ream of paper and tried to write; but nothing would come, or what did come was flat beyond telling” (Wright 639).