Language as the Key to Identity and Social Acceptance in Richard Wright’s Book, Black Boy :: Wright Black Boy Essays

Language as the Key to Identity and Social betrothal in Richard Wrights Book, Black Boy According to African American writer, James Baldwin, language is a vivid and crucial key to identity and companionable acceptance. Black Boy, by Richard Wright, defends Baldwins belief. In a selected Black Boy passage, where Richard and his friends converse, the rhetorical techniques, pathos and warrants assist to convey Wrights own attitude toward the grandeur of language as a key to identity and social acceptance.The idea that language is important to identity and social acceptance is defended in the passage by the utilization of pathos. Diction largely relays the comfortability of Richard and his friends with each other by not speaking in proper English, with phrases the like, that aint gonna do you no good, and quarrel like miz for miss and scareda as scared of. Also, syntax is used to contribute short explanatory sentences after each blurb of dialog An angry repine of supreme racial assertion. Language as an indicator of social acceptance is also seen in the word choice, with a wide array of cuss words, like sonofabitch, hell, and jigaboo. Repetition is developed through out the passage with the word silence, to indicate the identity of the boys with language. Wright also incorporates personification, personifying the boys talk being able to weave, roll, surge, spurt, veer, gallant showing the comfortability and social acceptance of each other because of language. Richard Wrights use of pathos helps to defend Baldwins beliefs on language.Another rhetorical technique that support as a defense for Baldwins views is Wrights use of value-based assumptions, or warrants. The boys establish their black identity through diction, referring to on another as nigger and we, nave and race. Many assumptions are made about whites with rhetorical questions like, Man, aint they ugly? and other race related questions. The conversation of Wright and his friends make the assump tion that whites treat blacks poorly, which establishes identity through language. Agreeing of the other boys with the racial assertion further leads to social acceptance. Repetition of negative statements about whites also further strengthens the warrants. The competitor is an animal to be killed on sight is a metaphor, which illustrates the black assumptions of whites through language.