Killing The Kitten In Richard Wright's Black Boy

What would you do if your father ordered you to kill a harmless kitten simply because it was meowing? In Black Boy, by Richard Wright, Richard decided to take his father’s words literally, with intent to hit his father back, and commit and unjustified murder. Wright grew up in Jim Crow South as a young African American. Richard and his poverty-stricken family faced many social and economic struggles. Although Richard and his family faced many issues, it does not justify his malicious act towards the kitten. As Wright stated, “The scrawny kitten lingered, brushing itself against our legs, and meowing plaintively,” (22) this clearly shows that the kitten was not in the wrong. Wright was not given a justified reason for killing the kitten. His malicious action was provoked by the hate and resentment he felt towards his father.

As Richard said, “I knew that he had not really meant for me to kill the kitten, but my deep hate of him urged me toward a literal acceptance of his word.” This proves that Richard wanted to kill the kitten only to have a triumph over his father. Richard’s reason for his action isn’t justified. If we all ended up killing living beings because we hated a parent, this world would be a mad one. Thankfully, Richard’s mother disciplined him for his unreasonable action. Richard’s mother was baffled by his action, and she was able to punish him in a way that he was able to become aware of his horror of taking a life. The setting emphasizes horror: “But my mother, being more imaginative, retaliated with an assault upon my sensibilities that crushed me with the moral horror involved in taking a life.” (24) His mother forces him to bury and pray for the kitten. His mother made him repeat several forgiving sentences aloud. The lesson prevented Richard from disrespecting another life again, such as the life of the