Theme Of Hunger In Richard Wright's Black Boy

In the autobiography Black Boy by Richard Wright, Wright’s defining aspect is his hunger for equality between whites and blacks in the Jim Crow South. Wright recounts his life from a young boy in the repugnant south to an adult in the north. In the book, Wright’s interpretation of hunger goes beyond the literal denotation. Thus, Wright possesses an insatiable hunger for knowledge, acceptance, and understanding. Wright’s encounters with racial discrimination exhibit the depths of misunderstanding fostered by an imbalance of power.
First, Wright’s prevalent hunger is for knowledge. This hunger sets him apart from those around him, which drives the path created by their differences further between them. Nevertheless, it gives Wright’s life significance and direction.

As she spoke, reality changed, the look of things altered, and the world became peopled with magical presences. My sense of life deepened and the feel of things was different, somehow.... My imagination blazed. The sensations the story aroused in me were never to leave me" (Wright, 39). This sensation extends his existing curiosity, helping Wright to comprehend his love of literature. His hunger for knowledge is immense, yet Wright is never really given the opportunity for a decent formal education. His instability at home forces him to miss many years of school, which he makes up for by establishing a different form of education on the streets. Living in such an intimidating and misery filled world, it is no wonder that the majority of Wright’s education takes place in similar environments. There he discovers a new language with more emphasis on profane language, learns how to put on a mask of indifference, and how to fight. He is able to observe some of the ways of the world, and sometimes participate, all the while never fully understanding exactly why