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Analysis Of Richard Wright's Interpreter Of Maladies

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The immigrant experience in America is generally characterized by a culmination of new and old cultures, language barriers, and class differences. Each immigrant faces their own difficulties, such as sacrificing their heritage in order to assimilate into American society or starting a new life from a low financial background. However, these hardships are not limited to only immigrants; African Americans living in the Southern United States throughout the 20th century dealt with similar struggles such as civil injustice, institutionalized racism, and lack of economic opportunity. Their experiences with discrimination emphasize the powerful ramifications of slavery, unfair Jim Crow laws, and racial tension. In an effort to explore these …show more content…

Furthermore, at an early age, he questions the racism white people have internalized and criticizes the social circumstances African Americans have accepted, much to the dismay of his family members. Richard constantly desires to assimilate into society based on his own terms, as opposed to conforming to the norms the world sets for him. Consequently, he continues to struggle against white culture, both in the South and North. The intelligent, self-respecting, and ambitious man of color that Richard strives to become is never accepted by society, thus infuriating him. He becomes vulnerable to the social factors that surround him, most notably during the Great Depression. Richard joins the Communist Party of Chicago after being told that minorities like himself will achieve economic success by revolting against capitalism. However, after seeing how oppressive the party is, Richard dissociates himself from it and aims to forge his own middle path. Although he continues to alienate himself from the majority of America, it is evident that Wright’s thoughts on discrimination, class differences, and bigotry act as a catalyst for his character development. His experiences in the Jim Crow South, Great Depression, and with the Communist Party force himself to continuously ask questions about the plight of African Americans. Despite never receiving substantial answers to the thoughts he had, Wright’s commentary on racial inequality in the 20th

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