Black Boy Notes | Chapter 7

Still living at home and now working, Richard gets bitten by a dog his boss owns. Looking at the wound, his boss comments, "I never saw a dog bite that could really hurt a nigger," and dismisses Richard. Chapter 7, pg.

163 There is a lot of complaining about the boss among Richard and his co-workers, but no one can do anything. The wound gets better, luckily, because Richard has no money to see a doctor.

While in eighth grade, Richard writes "The Voodoo of Hell's Half-Acre," a story that "stemmed from pure feeling." Chapter 7, pg. 165 He rushes to the local newspaper to have it published, supremely proud of himself. His family and friends are disturbed by the idea, especially because the story is so dramatic. He points out that if he had known how much he was going against the norm (writing fiction as a young black man in the rural South) he would have been too afraid to continue.

Topic Tracking: Coming of Age 5
Topic Tracking: Loneliness 5