The autobiographical sketch, “The
Ethics of Living Jim Crow,” is truly a coming of age story as well as a story
of survival. Richard Wright tells the tale of an average African American man
growing up in times of oppression. He brings up the idea of discrimination and
how African American’s learned the lesson to always “stay in their place” back
then. Growing up and reading numerous stories similar to the one of Wright’s, I
am well aware of the history between whites and blacks and the resentment that
followed after many outbreaks, disputes, and injustices. This story brought a
whole new sense of wonder and curiosity to my mind and started to make me
question if some of these traditional “ways” still exist today.
This story engaged me from the
very first sentence: “My first lesson in how to live as a Negro came when I was
quite small.” I was taken aback on the fact that he had to live by “lessons.” Life
should not be lived or structured that way. No one should have to learn to live
any differently than anyone else. You live to learn from lessons and grow from
them as well. As I kept reading on, I realized the feeling of disappointment that
strengthened in my mind. I could not believe the American culture back then—so cruel,
selfish, and unjust. And then I began to comprehend why Richard had said he had
to live his life by lessons. Back then, there was no other way to live your
life for African Americans. From the moment you were born it seemed, your
destiny was already decided.
Another important idea that
radiated from this subject was the timing of these lessons throughout this
story. In life, it is common for an individual to think that they have lived,
learned, and conquered nearly everything in a matter of time. Let me tell you
this straight up, no strings attached: this is not true and never will be.
Learning is a process gathered and developed overtime. We are constantly
learning from our very first breath to our last. The author explains this very
well by providing and explaining a few lessons Richard learns and experiences.
This shows us, as the reader, that the lessons occur at different points in one’s
life and that fact that we have to learn from them as best we can.
Wright also allows the reader to
view and recognize different parts and or types of discrimination throughout
the piece. This includes the idea on how African Americans had adjusted to the “stay
in your place” type of attitude. This feeling and or way of life was inspired
by the Jim Crow laws. People should never have to feel that they have to act,
behave, or live a certain way. Back then, these “laws” were instilled in
African Americans from the very day they were born. This angered me immensely.
No one should have to live life stepping on pins and needles. Be loud, be
proud, be you. Right? Right.
Touching on the Jim Crow aspect of
things, I will admit that these laws were absolutely horrid and unnecessary in
every way imaginable, but they were also—dare I say—good. From these laws, people
began to change overtime. They began to learn from life lessons. See, we made
it full circle! They began to realize the disappointment and unjust in their
lives and eventually rise above it. They taught people to finally break free of
the molding that other races—intentionally or not—had poured them in. And that,
I believe, is what Mr. Wright was trying to convey throughout his story. This important
message revolves around the idea that learning is constantly changing, as is
everything else in this world. And we have to adjust to the changes and either decide
to live by them or fight back. For in order to live you have to learn. And in
order to learn you have to live.
Hi Mariah! Nice job getting a start on your blog. You make some good points here. I found interesting your argument that the Jim Crow era was ultimately a good thing because it helped start the blacklash against injustice that resulted in the civil rights movement. Keep up the good work as you finish up your summer coursework. See you next month!
ReplyDeleteMariah, I found it interesting when you mentioned that we learn from our first breath to our last. I completely agree. We learn something new everyday and our brains continue to be filled with knowledge every time we make a choice, read from a book or article, or have conversations with people. It's great to learn new things everyday.
ReplyDeleteHi Mariah,
ReplyDeleteI also find your statement on the eventual payout of Jim Crow laws to be interesting. Though I don’t know that I agree with you, it is an interesting way of thinking and one that I have never thought of before. In a way, it reminds me of the concept that a war can be “good” if it might possibly have prevented more suffering.
One thing that I do know that I disagree on with you on is your statement that our culture is not as cruel as it once was. I think American culture is just as cruel now as then. Maybe not so in the outright, highly visible form of cruelty that occurred pre-Civil Rights Movement, but in a different way. I would argue that, at a time when the margins between rich and poor in this country are growing larger and larger, can we deny that there is a new form of cultural cruelty emerging, reminiscent of the days of the industrial revolutions? Not only is there a divide between rich and poor, but that divide is often split along racial lines. So maybe our culture has become less overtly oppressive and more in ways that is harder to perceive and pin down.