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

intention 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 acceptance by means of an cagey 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 northern, Richard used language to fill up the yawning, sinister gap. He uses personification to emphasize the awkwardness of their conference. This awkwardness was a chair of the Yankees probing questions. Richard described it as an unreal-natured conversation, but, paradoxically, he to a fault admits, of course the conversation was real it dealt with my welfare. The Yankee man then tried and true to offer Richard a dollar, and spoke of the blatant hunge r in Richards midpoints. This made Richard feel degraded and ashamed. Wright uses syntax to appropriately place the conversation before making his point in his personal conclusions. In the analogy, A man will seek to express his relation to the starsthat loaf of scribble is as important as the stars (loaf of bread being the metonymy for food), Wright concludes it is the little things of lifespan 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 livid 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 melodramatic irony exists exists when Richard asks, Wh o was my friend, the white man or the black boy? The indorser knows it is the black boy. Wright uses detail such as Mr. Olins low, confidential, voice to occasion 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 equilibrize world had tipped to show his confusion.