"Down By the Riverside": How Richard Wright Writes To Protest Racism
I find Richard Wright’s “Down By the Riverside” a very interesting text in the context of the Civil Rights Movement because of how Wright uses protest novel tactics to retaliate against racist sentiments in the 20th century. His story heavily incorporates naturalist themes regarding the Mississippi River Delta flood impacting Mann’s life, although the rather large underlying theme is the presentation of systemic racism in this time and place. Through Mann’s many struggles, Wright effectively demonstrates the difficulties of a lot of African Americans in the early 20th century since there were so many prejudices, harmful stereotypes, and dangerous people against them.
Even in places that should have been safe havens, such as hospitals, racism lingered in how white people interacted with African Americans. On page 74, once Mann reached the hospital with his family, he noticed a sign, saying: “FOR COLORED. He pushed open a door with his shoulder and stood blinking in a blaze of bright lights. A white nurse came. ‘What do you want?’” (Wright). For one, the sign is a very direct display of segregation in this time period, but the words of the nurse really stick out to me because they sound so hostile. I wouldn’t think a nurse would speak like that to a patient, but by showing how someone’s racist actions have interfered with their job, Wright indicates how racism was extremely prevalent in many, many places and people.
Another very big example of this racism being so rampant in “Down By the Riverside” is near the end of the story when Mann is being surrounded by a crowd of angry, racist white people. They don’t have any reason to be angry at Mann, yet they use his skin color as an excuse to harm him. Wright writes: “the crowd closed in tightly; the soldiers stood next to him, between him and the yelling faces. He grabbed a soldier, clinging, surging with the crowd. They were screaming in his ears” (Wright 98). Even the soldiers are trying to stop the direct violence from this crowd. Wright is essentially detailing the hostile actions of this white population in order to demonstrate just how dangerous and impactful this ingrained racism was.
Despite all of the opposition Mann faces in this story, the fact that Wright portrays him as so resilient and brave through everything is like a retaliation against all the people who fought against not only him, but also African Americans in real life. I haven’t mentioned the ending yet, but I should say that the tragedy of the ending also adds to the protest novel because Wright is also showing that people oftentimes didn’t get happy endings in real life. It’s clear that by having elements incorporated into the story that build an anti-racist narrative, “Down By the Riverside” does a really effective job being a protest novel.
Works Cited
Wright, Richard. “Down By the Riverside.” Uncle Tom’s Children, 1938, 55-102.
Y. & M. V. R. R. Station Cary, Miss. 5-1-27. 1927. National Museum of African American History and Culture, http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5f3a448e9-6a19-4393-bbe0-61fd75921cf2.
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ReplyDeleteCitlali, your analysis on Wright's depiction of racism in the hospital correctly states that Wright wants to show how brazen the racism was in the South at the time. Unfortunately, as a hospital volunteer, I can tell you with certainty nurses and patient relationships are still hostile, but this scene is far more hostile that I have ever heard of. It goes to show how in Jim Crow South, racism was in every part of the society and worsened challenges that were already present for white people (like floods or medical professionals mistreating patients).
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of Down by the Riverside was so careful and deliberate, I really enjoyed the attention to detail on all the painful experiences Wright included, which can be easily overshadowed by the tremendous amounts of suffering from the many tragic moments in the story. On a slightly different note, after now taking a Mr. Leff class, the significance of the Mississippi Delta is so much more clear. Great job!
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