Black BoyChapter 2

•This chapter deals with the later part of Richard Wright’s childhood.

•Richard is delighted to hear that they would be moving out of their present dwelling and go to Jackson and then to Arkansas.

•Granny’s two-story house fascinates him and he enjoys playing both inside and outside the house.

•He meets Ella, the black boarder whom granny had kept in the house to supplement her income.

•He asks Ella to tell her stories from the books that she is reading.

•However, his story session comes to an end when Granny intervenes and stops Ella from relating, what she calls devilish stories.

•Once when his mother falls ill, granny supervises over Richard and his brother, while they have their bath.

•After Richard has finished his bath, Granny wipes him dry.

•As she touches his private parts, Richard unconsciously utters the indecent words "When you get through, kiss back there."

•Granny is shocked to hear such words from a child.

•She strikes him with the wet towel before reporting the matter to his mother.

•His mother gives him a beating and asks him the source of such lewd language.

•Richard is unable to give a reply because he cannot remember how he has picked up the words.

•The incident is forgotten and Richard starts inhaling the essence of life once again.

•Soon it is time to leave for Arkansas.

•At the railway station, Richard observes that the White and the black people are segregated both at the ticket counter and the compartments.

•His curiosity is aroused and he questions his mother about the discrimination.

•His mother however does not give straightforward answers to his questions.

•At Elaine, he settles down happily in the comfortable surroundings of his aunt’s house.

•Aunt Maggie is a loving woman and Uncle Hoskins a generous man.

•After a long time, he gets to see so much food on the table and he is unable to believe it.

•It takes Richard some time to get used to the idea that there will be enough food for the next meal.

•One day, Uncle takes him out for a ride in his horse buggy. On the way, they pass a river.

•To make fun, Uncle takes the horse towards the river to make it drink water.

•As the buggy gets into the water, Richard gets frightened.

•Uncle Hoskins finally moves the buggy and the horse out of the water.

•Once out of the water, Richard is no longer frightened.

•This incident however completely destroys Richard’s trust in his uncle.

•The peaceful life at Elaine is suddenly disturbed.

•One evening, uncle fails to return back from the saloon and everybody is very worried.

•Aunt Maggie checks in the bedroom and discovers that Uncle Hoskins hasn’t taken his pistol with him.

•In the night, they are learn that a White man, who had wanted to establish his authority in the saloon, has killed him.

•Out of fear, they leave the place.

•They move back to West Helena.

•Richard sees a group of soldiers and asks his mother who/what they are.

•Richard then sees a chain gang and mistakes them for soldiers

•While his mother and aunt are working, Richard explores the ill-reputed house in the neighborhood and earns the wrath of the landlady.

•Thus they have to again shift residence. Here, Aunt Maggie befriends a black professor and meets him on the sly.

•Shortly afterwards, she runs away with the man who is pursued by the police.

•With his Aunt’s exit, insecurity haunts Richard and his family.

•However, Richard’s mother finally gets a decent job in a doctor's office and she enrolls her children in school.

• Richard is a very nervous on the first day of school.

• And to add to this, he becomes the laughingstock of the class.

• This is because when the teacher asks him to write his name on the blackboard, he gets very nervous and is unable to write.

•Suddenly there is a sound of whistles blowing and bells ringing and this causes the children to run to the windows.

•The teacher leaves the class and returns to declare that the war is over.

•There is rejoicing everywhere.

•Christmas arrives but does not bring any joy to Richard.

•The only thing that he gets to eat that day, is an orange.