Richard Wright���s Self-Portrayal in BLACK BOY

Slavery racial oppressions and discriminations in America have gotten a tremendous harmful impact on African Americans’ psyche. As a result they lost their self-confidence self-esteem and besides developed manifold shortcomings and vices. African Americans’ quest for a positive self-image their rights the restoration of their dignity and identity are unremittingly the concern of many writers among whom Richard Wright. In his autobiography Black Boy he depicts himself as an uncommon Black who not only debunks racism rejects any authority but also castigates his race fellows’ flaws. Basing on reader-response theory this essay argues that Wright uses creatively the narrator’s life in Black Boy in order to awaken Blacks from their torpor shortcomings and to incite them to action. Still they need to fight for their genuine liberty equality to other races and their self-fulfillment.