issue of fighting in Richard Wrights Black Boy
At the end of Black Boy, Richard participates in a boxing match with Harrison, a fellow "black boy" employee. Although this is unlike his character, Richard eventually gives in to Harrisons requests for a fight. The culture instigating this fight is fairly obvious: the white employers want to see the black boys fight like a "dog or rooster" for their entertainment. ... In the minds of Richard and Harrison, however, such a fight would be degrading. ... For Richard, though, a deeper influence may be pressing him to fight. All through Chapter 12, Richard opposes the idea of a fight. ... Later, when Harrison presses him to fight, Richard says, "I dont want to fight for white men. ... " However, almost immediately thereafter, Richard agrees to the fight. ... Call them ideologies, perhaps, but there is a combination of factors that lead Richard to fight. First of all, Richard feels a loyalty to Harrison as a co-worker and fellow "black boy", evidenced in Richards narration: "Harrison and I knew each other casually, but there had never been the slightest trouble between us" and "Harrison was black and so was I; I would ignore the warning of the white man and talk face to face with a boy of my own color.