- Published: November 14, 2021
- Updated: November 14, 2021
- University / College: American University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 48
Having reviewed the two articles; Big Boy Leaves Home by Richard Wrights and A Party Down at the Square by Ralph Ellison, it is evident that members of the black community went through a lot of difficulties during the early American times. This is made clear in the way the black community is treated in the stories being elaborated and the challenges they encountered as being part of the black community race which was considered to be an inferior race compared to other races and particularly the American race. This is attributed to the harsh treatment they are subjected to in the narrative setting. It is clear that the characters in these stories human rights were violated due to their race this made clear in the kind of remarks that are made in reference to their deaths.
It is made clear that the characters in these stories were not expected to enjoy certain privileges due to their race. The Big Boy Leaves Home story illustrates this where the characters in the story are hunted down and killed since a lady who happened to come by them swimming in the river was not happy and decides to shoot them. The violations of their rights are further carried out when Bobo and his friend the Big Boy kill the shooter in self-defense and happen to be hunt down by the whole community where Bobo is killed by a mob and the Big Boy flees home in efforts to escape death. It is evident that the acts and the constant violations of Human Rights in these stories settings are reference to the challenges that the black community endured during the segregation and the colonial period where the blacks were viewed as second class citizens. This is what drove the constant violations that were witnessed during this particular period as elaborated in the narratives.
A Party Down at the Square is similar to the Big Boy story due to the injustices and disgust that surrounds the story. There exist similar human rights violations against members of the black community in the story. This is experienced in the suffering the young black man endured during his lynching and before the incident. The injustices and disgust are illustrated on how the community views the “ party”. The injustices are not considered to crimes against human rights but rather a social activity. This is because it is made clear that such lynching was common within the town where young niggers would be lynched for the crimes they may have committed. There exist no proper legal channels in these injustices since there seems to exist no proper trials to hear the crimes committed. This is because the black community during this particular period had no say and is subjected to punishment according to what the American community considered to be a fair trial which was lynching. This is made clear through a statement where the young man pleads with the mob to let him have a painless death through slashing his throat like a Christian. In reply member of the mob shots and says that there were no Christians around that night.
In conclusion, it is made clear that these two stories try to illustrate the injustices the black community faced and the challenges they endured at the mercy of the white community. Their rights were constantly violated and were not subjected to fair trials.