Black boy by wright questions
How long was it before Richard saw his father again?
25 years
What happened the first time Richard went to the corner store to shop for food
A gang of boys grabbed him, knocked him dow, snatched the basket, and took the money
After Richard's mother got a job, what food did she leave for the boys every day?
A loaf of bread and a pot of tea
As a boy, Richard preferred action to words. As an adult, Richard lived by the words once he became an author. What might have brought about the change in him?
Growing up and education might have helped him appreciate the power of words. Maybe he simply didn't discover his gift of words until later in life
Why can Richard not finished his soup while the preacher is eating with them
He is worried that the preacher is going to eat all of the chicken. He becomes so angry, he can't eat the soup
What do the details of the Richard's father's house say about his truthfulness in court?
He lived in a nicer house and he could afford to have a fire. Evidently, and was lying when he told the judge that he was doing all he could do
How does Richard's attitude toward his hunger and his father change while they are in court?
He no longer wants his father to feed him if a judge has to tell him to feed his children
Why was Richard afraid of the policeman?
He was white
What caused Richard to think of his father with a "deep biological bitterness?"
His father didn't come home for several days. Therefore, they had no food. When Richard was Hungry, he hated his dad.
How does Richard compare the city's treatment of his father to the city's treatment of himself?
His father failed in the city and had to flee. The same city lifted Richard and moved him on to a better life.
What change had taken place with his father?
His father has aged and become destitute. He is no longer frightening to Richard
Why wouldn't Richard accept the nickel from his father?
His father obviously had much more than a nickel to give but would not
what is the difference between the two kinds of hunger Richard describes on page 1016?
Intermittent hunger of someone who, although poor, knows that food is available and the continuous, debilitation hunger of someone who literally doesn't know when the next meal will arrive
Why does the judge accept his father's word?
Maybe he trusts a man more than a woman; maybe he doesn't care because they are African Americans
What is Richard's punishment on his return to the orphanage?
Miss Simon "lashed him thoroughly."
What kind of care did the children receive in the orphanage?
They were neglected. Only 2 meals per day. They were abused by today's standards
Why does Richard's mother want to take him to see his father?
To ask his father for enough money for them to go to her sister's house in Arkansas
what is a tenement house
government housing
what happened to Richard when he stated back to the store the last time
he beat the boys up with the stick his mother gave him, and went on to the store
Why does Richard decide that the policeman wasn't "white" anymore?
he fed him and was kind to Richard
What does the very first conversation between Richard and his mother tell you about him?
he is inquisitive (curious)
what kind of relationship did Richard have with his father?
his father was a dictator and was not very loving. (they did not have a relationship)
Why does Richard mother place the boys in an orphanage?
she was desperate and couldn't feed them
why did Richard cry when he actually saw the boat they would be traveling on?
the boat was a tiny and dirty, and he had imagined a huge white boat
why does richard's mother lock him out of the house?
to teach him to defend himself against bullies
