The Fight

Richard Nathaniel Wright was an American writer who did works such as novels, short stories, and non-fiction. He began writing at a young age creating his first story at the age of fifteen called "The Voodoo of Hell's Half-Arce". From Mississippi, Wright moved to Chicago where he made big stories such as "Big Boy Leaves Home". Later on in 1937 Wright moves to New York where he became the Harlem editor of the Daily Worker. While in New York he wrote several works but once again moved and his destination was Paris. In Paris, Wright made his second novel called "The Outsider". In June of 1960 Wright recorded a series of discussions for a French radio containing his writing and literary career and his books.

One story by Richard Wright is "The Fight" in which a boy overcomes his hardships and obstacles at school. The main plot of the story is a young boy in school who was confronted by several boys and his test in school was not any academics but social status. At first the narrator is scared and worried of what is to come but soon toughens up. The narrator seems to be the only one who doesn't want to fight but is willing to stand up and defend himself to prove he is somebody. The narrator reacts to his situation in a calm manner and doesn't engage in physical violence but rather in civil discussion. Everything beings when the boy states that "people from Jackson are ugly". When the boy comes up to the narrator they both seem to have a strong and tough standing about them and inevitably fight due to someone pushing the the bully into the narrator. In the end I disagree with the narrators decision and reaction to the situation because the boy simply was pushed into the narrator, nothing more. In this situation however I would react in a civil and calm manner in which avoiding altercation was my top priority. I feel that fighting is not even a last resort and should be avoided at all cost. This particular event has not happened to me but has happened to someone close to me in which one individual approached a friend of mine looking for a quarrel but my friend being the smart guy he is, talked everything out and any physical actions.

mugan320@aol.com
© David Quick 2010