Wright, Richard: 1908-1960
Black Boy, 1945 - Language/Style
- English Language Level: Challenging, Formal
- Vocabulary – Uses advanced and sometimes archaic words that reflect 1940s formal English (e.g. “Indignation” – strong anger; “Comprehend” – used in formal sense, sometimes instead of “understand.”).
Sentences – Often long and complex, with multiple clauses and detailed descriptions.
Tone/Style – Reflective and serious, requiring careful attention to understand the narrator’s meaning.
Dialect/Dialogue – Includes Southern African American speech patterns, which can be unfamiliar to modern readers (e.g. “He done told me” - “He already told me”).
Themes/Context – Heavy social, racial, and historical content that adds to the cognitive load (e.g. Wright recounts threats, beatings, and fear of lynching, showing the constant danger for Black people in the South). See background.
- Vocabulary – Uses advanced and sometimes archaic words that reflect 1940s formal English (e.g. “Indignation” – strong anger; “Comprehend” – used in formal sense, sometimes instead of “understand.”).
- The novel combines complex sentences, advanced vocabulary, Southern dialect, and heavy racial and historical themes that require careful attention to both language and context.