NON-AFRICAN PROSE
RICHARD WRIGHT: Black Boy
Discuss the contributions of Mr. Crane and Mr Olin to the development of the plot.
Explanation
Both Mr. Crane arid Mr. Olin are Richard's bosses in two different optics shop that Richard works in. Mr. Crane is a Yankee from Illinois. He represents those whites who are unbiased and vibrant to blacks but can nothing to change the harsh attitudes of whites towards black Americans. Mr Crane wants to give Richard a chance to train at his optical factory and thereby acquiring a useful life- long trade. But Mr. Crane's white employees, Reync and Pease, to whom he assigns the duty of training Richard, are not ready to train any "nigger" in a trade they se€ purely a white man's. Mr. Crane's good intentions are therefore seen by these two wicked whites as uncalled for.
They are determined to send Richard out of the job. Reynolds one day frames Richard up that he has referred to Pei without respect. At this allegation, poor Richard cannot defend himself against two whites who are determined to thi him out of a job from which he hopes to save money to get back to school. Even when Mr. Crane asks Richard to nary the incident the next day, he cannot. Mr. Crane on his part cannot help Richard. This experience as Richard sal slapped out the human race" in him. In another part of South America. Richard is employed as an errand boy and charged with the duty of washing polishing eye glasses. His previous experience with Reynolds and Pease now teach him to be cautious with all wh including the one who willingly offers him a dollar to buy food.
Here Richard's immediate supervisor Mr. Olin for apparent reason installs hatred between Richard and Harrison, another black boy who works in a nearby jewelery sh Mr. Olin takes delight in seeing two "niggers" hurt each other. It takes Richard and Harrison time to be able to uric stand Mr. Olin's plot against the black race in general. These two experiences convey the impression that most whites hate blacks and do not mind if the blacks go each other's throat. The blood-thirstiness of the whites is revealed in the comments they make during the fight: "cry that nigger's guts!, "Hit that nigger", "make him bleed". These experiences further portray that blacks are seen as sub-human, merely tolerated for services they render.