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Essay 1: Richard Wright's Black Boy
Length and Due Dates
Length: 5-6
pages (1250-1500 words)
First Draft Due:
January 14; bring three copies to class
Final Draft Due:
January 21 at the beginning of class
Assignment
In Black Boy (American
Hunger), Wright uses a number of themes in order to explore the following
proposition: that the solution to the particular problems facing black
migrants from the South like himself provides the key to understanding
and improving the general American social condition. Three broad
themes stand out in this work:
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the migrant's experience of
grinding poverty and unemployment,
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the disorientation and isolation
of new arrivals in the urban metropolis, and
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the recognition of the possibility
and promise of political mobilization and collective action
In this paper, we want you to
write about one of these three themes in some more detail.
First, describe how the given theme is central to Wright's autobiography.
Second, based upon your own careful reading of Wright's text, analyze
and evaluate the extent to which you believe Wright is successful in
using the theme to demonstrate that the African-American migrant experience
is representative of the larger social and historical realities of Depression-era
America.
Guidelines
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This is a short paper.
In order to write a good paper, you must be economical. Choose your
examples from Wright carefully when supporting your point.
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In writing this paper, you may
draw upon what you learned from reading the first chapters of Polenberg's
One Nation Divisible and Leffler's The Specter of Communism
where appropriate, making sure to use a proper footnote format.
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Do not consult any additional
outside sources for this paper.
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Class:
MWF 10:30-11:20
Location:
Mueller 154
Contact:
K.
Gillis-Bridges
Office:
Padelford A-16
Phone:
543-4892
Hours:
TTh 10:30-11:30
and
by appointment
Page
updated 3/9/06
Comments
or inquiries
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