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 Acceptance in Richard Wrights Book, stark Boy According to African American writer, James Baldwin, run-in is a vivid and crucial key to identity and social espousal. Black Boy, by Richard Wright, defends Baldwins belief. In a selected Black Boy passage, where Richard and his friends converse, the rhetorical techniques, pity and warrants assist to convey Wrights own attitude toward the importance of actors line 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 non speaking in proper English, with phrases like, that own(prenominal)t gonna do you no good, and words like miz for miss and scareda as scared of. Also, syntax is apply to strive short explanatory sentences after each blurb of dialog An angry grunt of supreme racial av erment. Language as an index of social acceptance is in like manner seen in the word choice, with a all-encompassing array of cuss words, like sonofabitch, hell, and nigger. Repetition is create 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, swell 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 aids as a defense for Baldwins views is Wrights use of value-based assumptions, or warrants. The boys establish their foul 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 assumption that whites treat blackeneds poorly, which establishes identity through language. Agreeing of the other boys with the racial assertion gain ground leads to social acceptance. Repetition of negative statements about whites also further strengthens the warrants. The enemy is an animal to be killed on sight is a metaphor, which illustrates the black assumptions of whites through language.