Richard Wright's Black Boy - Analysis and Literary Context

Explore a 51-minute lecture from Yale University's "The American Novel Since 1945" course, focusing on Richard Wright's autobiography "Black Boy." Delve into Professor Amy Hungerford's analysis of key passages, examining the narrative's oscillation between socioeconomic hardships and racial dangers, and the solace found in sensory experiences, imagination, and language. Uncover the editorial tensions between Wright and Book-of-the-Month-Club President Dorothy Canfield Fisher, highlighting the significance of Wright's uncompromising portrayal of America's ideals during World War II. Investigate the classification of autobiography as a literary form, explore Wright's narrative choices, decode meaning in descriptive catalogs, and examine themes of powerlessness and agency. Analyze the author's use of language and voice, and understand how external influences shape personal accounts through the Fisher-Wright correspondence.

- Chapter 1. Classifying the Literary Object: Fiction and Autobiography
.
- Chapter 2. Choices in the Construction of an Autobiography: A Close Reading of the First Scene
.
- Chapter 3. Decoding Meaning in Wright's Descriptive "Catalogs"
.
- Chapter 4. Powerlessness and Exertions of Agency
.
- Chapter 5. Language and Power: The Voices of the Author
.
- Chapter 6. The Fisher-Wright Letters: Author vs. Audience, How Outside Forces Shape the Formation of a Personal Account
.