| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 外國語文學系碩博士班 === 98 === One of America’s greatest black writers, Richard Wright makes a masterful recording of his own life in the form of the autobiography, Black Boy. He finds a way—writing to quest for his dream of authority and freedom. Black men are degraded to the same status as women are in the patriarchal society. In order to acquire male identity, Wright emphasizes the effect of education and literary ability that can facilitate him to approach the white world dominated by the white men. This thesis aims to explore Wright’s construction of black male identity from the way he emulates and surpasses the three classes: black women, white women, and black men. The first chapter is an introduction to Richard Wright and the historical background concerning the publication of Black Boy. Through the literature review, I further my examination of his violent relationship with women and men, especially his negative treatment of women. Chapter Two explores how Wright challenges the women, the lowest rungs in the social and racial ladder to acquire his male-identity. In order to maintain his dominance over women, black and white women fall victim to his stereotyped and one-dimensional delineation in which they are responsible for blocking black men’s self-assertion. Chapter Three describes how Wright builds up his manhood and authority by emulating black men. Chapter Four explores how Wright as a black boy acquires literacy during the migration from the South to the North. Literacy helps Wright to be independent from the black family, and have power over black people. Conclusion holds that with the power of literacy, Wright subverts himself from an object to a subject and acquires his male identity. However, as a successful black writer, that he succeeds in the literary career at the expense of black people, especially women, makes his self identity dubious and problematic.
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