What types of things does Richard "hunger" for
and what are the effects (positive and negative) of hunger?
Richard hungers for many things. One example of something he hungers for is acceptance. At school, Richard is often the poorest. At school he is unable to eat and states his longing for the day when he can be like everyone else and eat, "I vowed that someday I would end this hunger of mine, this apartness," (Wright 126). When someone suggests to him to sell papers to make money for food, he jumps at the idea, "Why don't you do like me?" (Wright 127). Richard needs to feel acceptance, so he decides to sell papers in order to make a friend (and get food like everyone else). Richard also shows this hunger in the way he continues to pursue a job in the interest of remaining like everyone else. Richard asks at school "About jobs" (Wright 145). Wright has shown us how he hungered for acceptance in his life.
Another thing Richard hungers, perhaps less positively, is truth, whether it hurts another or not. He shows this through his clear disgust for anything or anyone related to the church, and when he tells them so, "That old church of yours is messing up my life" (Wright 144). When Richard's grandmother hears this she becomes upset. Richard need for being painfully truthful has hurt his grandmother. Another instance he hurts someone through his disgust for what he believes is the corruptness and shamelessness of the church is when he is at church being asked to be baptized. He talks about how he feels as she pleads to him "My mother grabbed my hands and I felt hot tears scalding my fingers. I tried to stifle my disgust" (Wright 153). Richard hungers for the truth, even when it hurts another.
6 comments:
So, is it wrong to tell the truth if it hurts someone?
Hey Silas,
I like your ideas about Richard wanting to gain acceptance. But I'm not sure that Richard hungers for the truth. I think that Richard wants everyone else to respect what he sees as "the truth," which may or may not be what other's think is the truth. I also think that Richard already has his "truth" and that he wants others to accept his "truth" or he wants to find a group that shares his "truth." So I think that Richard's hunger for truth translates into Richard's acceptance into a community which shares his views.
In response to Ms. F. Yes sometimes it is. It is true that sometimes you should say it anyway but if it is truthful, hurtful, and you gain nothing from saying it, why say it? Richard knows that his grandmother is obsessed with the church, telling her how much he hates it doesn't really help. I might get around to Evan's if not oh well.
Great ideas, but I agree with evan on the truth part. What you are saying is that Richard expresses the truth but he is not demanding for the truth, which is basically what hunger is. Other than that, I liked it.
~Mounica
I enjoyed the examples of hunger you used, they wern't the obvious choices, which made them interesting to think about. You took the same quote I have used to depict his physical need for hunger and interpurted it to be a quote about a desire for acceptance, which also made a lot of sense.
Silas,
You brought up the idea that Richard hungers for truth which is a very unique response. Also I liked how this brought of the debate of should we tell the truth all the time even if it hurts someone. I believe that we shouldn't always tell the truth if it will hurt someone.
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