1a. What kind of manner does Ella have?
2a. What does Wright want Ella to do?
3a. Who interrupts the story? Why?
4a. Identify early signs that Wright will grow up to be a writer.
5a. Imagine you are Wright's grandmother. Describe your feelings when you catch Ella telling your grandson a story. What are you afraid of? From what do you want to protect your grandson? What kind of a man do you want him to grow up to be?
1b. What fascinates Wright about Ella?
2b. What enables Wright to imagine the story Ella tells him so well?
3b. What kinds of stories do you think the grandmother would permit?
4b. Why don't the threats of Wright's grandmother and mother have any effect on him whatsoever?
5b. When no one is looking, Wright slips into Ella's room and steals a book and takes it back of the barn in order to try to read it. Is Wright's behavior understandable? Why, or why not? If you were Wright, what other ways would you find to explore the world of fiction?
Aim. What is Wright's aim in writing Black Boy? Give examples from the selection that support your answer.
Autobiography. Complete the chart below. On the left, list quotes from the selection that reveal aspects of Wright's character. On the right, explain what you learned about Wright's character. One example has been done for you.
1a. "I don't care," I said loudly and bravely.
1b. He was brave in being willing to risk his grandmother's disapproval.
Which of Wright's personality traits do you find the most compelling?
1. Imagine you are Wright. Write a journal entry explaining what hearing the story of Bluebeard and His Seven Wives meant to you.
2. Imagine you are Wright's grandmother. Write a letter to your grandson explaining why you consider fiction "Devil stuff." Tell him what you would prefer him to read.
3. Wright writes: ". . . I tortured my mother into telling me the meaning of every strange word I saw, not because the word itself had any value, but because it was the gateway to a forbidden and enchanting land." Write a paragraph hypothesizing (making a tentative assumption) how Wright gained access to that land as he grew older.
Working with Namers. Rewrite the following sentences. Star (*) each namer and tell what kind it is.
1. Richard Wright lived with his mother and grandmother.
2. The author was insistent that Ella tell him a story.
3. That he loved fiction was clear to Ella.
4. Learning the meanings of words became Wright's new passion.
5. To understand Ella's novels was his goal.
Bibliography Cards. On the topic of Richard Wright's work, write one bibliography card for each bibliography entry form below. If you choose to use the Internet, see http://www.pbs.org/rwbb/.
1. a book with one author
2. a book with an editor but no single author
3. a chapter in a collection of works
4. an introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword
5. an article in an encyclopedia, dictionary, or other alphabetically organized reference work
