Use of Rhetorical Strategies in Richard Wright’s Autobiography, Black Boy :: Wright Black Boy Essays

Use of Rhetorical Strategies in Richard Wrights Autobiography, Black BoyRichard Wright grew up in a bitterly racist America. In his autobiography Black Boy, he reveals his personal experience with the potency of language. Wright delineates the efficacious role language plays in forming ones identity and social word meaning with an ingenious use of various rhetorical strategies. Richards own identity as well as his personal identification of others is formed through language. For example, in Richards encounter with the Yankee, Richard used language to fill up the yawning, shameful gap. He uses personification to emphasize the awkwardness of their conversation. This awkwardness was a turn up of the Yankees probing questions. Richard described it as an unreal-natured conversation, but, paradoxically, he also admits, of course the conversation was real it dealt with my welfare. The Yankee man therefore tried to wish Richard a dollar, and spoke of the blatant hunger in Richards eyes. This made Richard feel degraded and ashamed. Wright uses syntax to appropriately place the conversation before reservation his point in his personal conclusions. In the analogy, A man will seek to express his relation to the starsthat loaf of bread is as important as the stars (loaf of bread being the metonymy for food), Wright concludes it is the little things of life that shape a Negros destiny. An interesting detail is how Richard refuses the Yankees pity he whispers it. From then on, Richard identified him as an enemy. Thus, through that short, succinct exchange of words, two identities were molded.Language is also pivotal in determining Richards social acceptance. For instance, Mr. Olin, a blanched man tries to probe Richard into fighting another black boy. Richard was disturbed. He uses contrast to show his disturbance, the eye glasseswere forgotten. My eyes were on Mr. Olins face. A certain(p) dramatic irony exists exists when Richard asks, Who was my friend, the white m an or the black boy? The reader knows it is the black boy. Wright uses detail such as Mr. Olins low, confidential, voice to construct an apocryphally amiable tone. If Richard complies with Mr. Olins deceiving language, he would gain the social acceptance of the white men. If not, he would be ostracized as a pariah. Wright uses a metaphor, my delicately balanced reality had tipped to show his confusion.