Representation of Racial Segregation and Identity Crisis in Richard Wright’s Novel Black Boy

Abstract

Racial segregation and identity crisis play an essential role in Black American literature as well as in American society. The objective of the study is to analyze the significant themes of identity crisis and racial segregation in Richard Wright’s novel Black Boy. The study focuses on the concepts of racial segregation and identity crisis because these issues were and are still controversial and argumentative in Afro-American Literature. There is also an analysis of the features of post-colonialism. Post-colonialism is a major writing style used in this novel. It claims that Black American literature was written to fight against racial segregation, oppression, aggression in order to obtain self-pride and identity. It also concentrates on the theme of the problems of Blacks’ identity and racial discrimination in American society to prove that racism and oppression are indeed prominent themes in Wight’s novel because the book was written during the Jim Crow era at a point where racism was very important in American society.