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___.,.--- SCÙ~iICes sociales et bamaines
'REC'ORDS OF GROWING UP BLACK: 'CONTRASTS IN THE
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LIVES,OF·· RICHARD ,WRIGHT AND CAMARA LAYE
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,.Kodjo AFAGLA .
"
. Département d'Anglais
,
, Université de Lomé;- TQGO
: ~ .
....,; .
This paper elaborates on
center stage of mernoir and
subjectafter itstime.'Originally, the
black male autobiography,on two
confession narrative" the 191h
writing ofan autobiography aimed
growingup experiences described
centuryinaugurated a new era:"the
at making public "a rernarkable
by w~iters who underw~nt two
self as child replaces the rational
inner or outer adventure that one
different rites c:fpassage in tl~eir
adult in many English .and
wanted oneself anel/or the world
respective communities. It iswidely
Continental autobiographies [... ]
to
profi t
by" 1
Now, ,the
believed that the study of
And a stormy adolescence itself '
autobiography genre has been
autobiography "supplemented by
creates.the conventional center of
transforrned. into.a medium of
~
,
. "
.
biography wouTd he th~ ri1etr~od
interest for a great many 2011~
expression that enables writers to
par excellence 6f understanding
century reminiscences" (Stone,
address their specifie needs.and to
theindividual genius," 'a~ th~re'
93). If so.rnany-artists have dealt
, pursue their respective purposes
exists rîo m'ore ac~'urate' firstl~ând
with-theirchildhoodrnemories in
(Ho.r~ung
and. Ruhe,
.1).
and, authentic i~fonmitI61~'6'n:â
their.autobiographies it is, without
By the.i.sarne to ke n, thèse
person's life'thm-i what s/hèWrité~
doubt, becausechildhood matters
abolit··her/hiri1self·(Sto.l~e:
observations .rernirid me of the
95).
and isadecisive -period in the
rnany.roles an autobiography tan
Thus. this'choice toconsidertwo
shapin~ .ofone.'s personality.
~
1
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play within a given society and
classic accounts of comingof'age
RecallingGreenacre's observation
pèriod oftime. It is, therefore, my
IS primarily motivated by I~{Y desii'e
that .':only'yolingchildre!1,
expectation to.use Black Boy and
to locatesome'di~simli~rities iIÙhe
philosophers.artists, and certain
L'Enfant Noir, as méans toshed
devéloprnent 'of th~i{ personas'
sickindividuals concemthemselves
idel~tiües. I~
some li ght on ·the .somewhat
fact, in their life~
constantly with questions oftheir
opposite. societies/comrnunities
writing, Laye and Wright lh~iv'~
own identities,» Stone draws the
they portray, for both provideclear
higli(ightep 'their perceptions i~
obvious conclusion that"artists
~
proof of the perennial needto
1 .
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regardtothe coming ofage on two
whorecall and philosophizeabout
relate.autobiography to social and
continents. By tracingbackthese
themselves asyoungchildren would
psychological contexts. Thus.it is
dissimilarities to their.respective
seem, particularly.. sensitive
the purpose- of .this paper to
environments, this study seeks to
seismographs registering.irnportant
speculate on some major elements
establish sorne.differences between '
,and prophetie. personality patterns
thataccount for thedissi milarities
the coming of age in Africa and
within a culture'? (Stone, 95):
.'
~ .. ~
.- ,
America, asis irnplied in the
Littlewonderthat life-writing is no
.
~~iier:s'.
".
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·gerceptiohs.
longerprimarily. concernedwith
.*~ Kodjo Afagla .. Ma,îlre A~sislqn!
old-age -retrospective .narrative
(CAMES) al
Un i.vers ité de
In his' illuminatingbook on
told-in-a chronological tirne
.....~"
Lomé, Togo;'~(IIT~llIl)' a graj'lialc '
autobiography, Albert s'tone
studcnt i'n -Amer'icaii- S'iliciies
sequence withastrong.accent '.'on
".'
'·Progral1l;al l:hS Universityof
makes the .0 bservation that
the .bourgeois orienlightened
Kansas.
in
Lawrence
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contrary to the widespread
subjectof'Benjamin Franklin,",or
r-: Lawrence' 1311~". "Âuiol1iography in the
practice typi~âlid: 18'~" century
• "
- ',Anlcriciin Renaissance." in'!?mU
with a heavy-.emphasison the
r
' ••• "r10.l1n,
Eakin.
cd ..
' .4~.
Europe wherebyfull maturityheld
illusoty construction of a unified
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in relation to the opposition in the
a five-year old child playing with
different. Accordingly, thèse books
politics of identity construction.
a snake, not realizing it is a fatal
. point to some major/central
adopted by both narrators. In the '
game until adults come to save
contrasts in their narrator's
process,this will give someinsight
'11il'n. 1 If Laye is not V~lY severely
development;. thesedissimilarities.
into the protected and peaceful
chastised and the incident ends
are so important thar they need to
childhoodand adolescence of Laye
happily, Black13oy's opéning is a
be addressed.
in communal, rural Africa versus
dramatic and traumatic one: The
Howevcr. before movinc
Wright'spainful corningofage in a
book-be gins with a detailed
further, it might be intcrcsting t~
violent, racist environment of the'
description of howthe narrator set
s pee li l-a te 0 Ji the i s sue s 0 f
United States,
fire to bis grandparents' house and
intertextuality and influence inorder
L'Enfant
Noir
was
the severe beating he received as
to establishwhatever relationship
publishedin 1953, nine years after
punishment.? 'In-between, the'
may exist between both scripts.
Black Boyhad been' in print. Wilen
reader becomes fami liarwiththe
. '
.
.
Before the publishing 0'1'
Laye handed the manuscript to
diametrically opposed (blessed/
L En{ant Noir, black intellectuels
Plon, it was then entitled"L 'Enfaiu
cursed) circumstances that
were '~xpr~ss'ing th~i( ~'iews in
de Guinée", However, in view of
surround each writer's growing up
Présence Africaine, a]:cvièwtl;at
giving the book a wider appeal-
experience .. Also, in the rfinal
enabled the back diasporan ~ol:lél
the issue ofmarketability cornes
chapters, we seeLaye, who, after
to have a strong voice. a forum
into play- Plon changed the title
coming top ofhis class inhis final
from which to .spcak <:{nd to be
to L'En/ont N()ii', It can bestatéd,
exanùnation,isoffered' a
heard by the world. lts objective
right'away, that thetitle ofLaye's
scholarship. to. France, -an offer
J
....
•
was to promote the Néuritude
book -
L 'Ei1fànt Noir - is the
which he' acceptsrwithrnixed
1.,
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.
b
l
movement.In addition. accordinu
translation of the Englishtitle of
feelings, for he.was divided
to Sonia Lee, by î 947, (his revie:
Richard Wright's autobiography.
between furthering his studiesand
appeared .simultaneously i;l Paris
Thus, Richard Wright's Black Boy
stayingwith his family As theStOlY
and Dakar and was spousored b~
andCamara Laye's L'EntantNoir
ends, Laye is'on-the plane to Paris,'
~uch influential personalities (;~~
- whether transi ated as' The
trying to fight back his tears (AC,
André Gide, Jean-Paul Sartre.
African Child or The Dark'child
159). For bis part, Richard has
Léopold Seda~' Senchor, Aime
-. basically mean the samething,
been moving from one cityto
Césaire, and Richard Wri~hL t~
as translators do not sée eye to eye
anotherin the South, likea slave in
mention a few (Lee, 5), lt is a.well-
when it comes to choosing words,
search of the "promised land," His
known fact that: Wriuht 's' Bluck
Moreover, I would suggest a third
vividand painfuldocumentationof
8(IY has inspired ma~1Y writers:
one: my translation of "l'enfant
what happens to him in that South
Ralpl1 Ellison, Maya Anùelou,
noir" is"black boy". As both share
comes to a close when he boards
J~l11C~ Baldwin',. a~ld' Eldrldl'T~
the same title, the reader's natural
a northward train"withouta qualm,
Cl
Clever (Stone. 121).
.
assumption is that they might
without a single backward glanee"
address the same issue, in more or
(Ward, xii).' His' move from the
less the same way.
South makes himl'free at last," for
Certainly,this assumption
héreaches "a land where I could
1 Caniaru Lay.;; Tlic illi'iCllh.("hilih:,\\·ieI;wl'\\'
is reinforced as one meets both
livewithalittle lessfear"(BB,207).
of a •1-/'('.1'/ Ali'hw/ C'hiltlho()(f
Tr'lJ1slal.:~1 'hy ,I.IIIl':S Kirkul~
narrators when they arealmost five
.As is clearly sùggested in .
(London. Fontana HllOks. 11)51) 1.
in the opeu irig chapters·.ln
the attitudesadopred by . the
1 -
1\\11 subsequent quouuions
addition,bothleave théirchildhood
narratorswhcn leaving their
arc parcnthcticully includcd in
, the icxt. jircccdcd hy I\\c.. ,
1
environments when they are in
childhoodareas.tt might be said
2,Ridwrd Wrigh]. /Jloek Nol' ",ith an
their late teens. More specifically,
that although both, wri·ters are
•
introduction hy .kIT\\;· \\V. Ward:
each book begins with tl-le nanator
basicâIly' de'al ing with their
.Ir: (Ne\\\\' VClI'k. th.:' Lihra'r\\' 'or
(\\Illerica. '11)')]) ..:1·7 -'AII
playing a dangeroll~ game. The
experiencesas black boysgrowing
subst:que,~i quotal i';lI~s ';I~':
outset of L'Enfant Noir presents
up, th'eir,environments are very
rarenlh;:lieally included III tl;.:
"tex!; rrcecllcd hy.Bn
f~(':v. CAMES:·;Série B,Vol. b05 N~"l-2. 2003.

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Sciences sociales et humaines
are the focus of analysisinstead of
. ' . However, whatremains
thoughtare practically defending
staticstructures and products."
uncertain is its influence on Laye's
the Sa\\11e view, though using vastly
No wonder that "the literai)'word"
book. Are, Black Boy and
different.Ianguage. 1 do not
_.
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becomes, in Kristeva s view, "an
L'Enfant Noir i ntertextual ly-
conceive of intertextuality as an
intersection oftextual surfaces [or]
connected? That Wright .has.
enlargement of a familiar idea, or
influenced Laye is: a difficult
see it as <ln entirely new concept
as ...a .dialogue aI)101~g .several
writings" (Kristeva, 65),' To' be
exercise .to ccnduct as this
that replaces the metaphor of
sure, the literary text is taken as an'
influence
is
not •. clearly
influence,as isclaimed by Clayton
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acknowledged by .either author,
and Rothstein(3). On the contrary,
intertextual weavinu
.
,
~
of other
But such an exercise is worth-atry.:
both concepts are reconciled when
cultural and histor ical. texrs
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For thar purpose, ashortreview
the theoristsof'intertextuality admit
whereby the. "already -read" is
of the concepts of influence and
that ','the ~1emling of a po~m can
assumed.And morespecifically, as
intertextualityseems indispensable"
only be another poern'tand the
is .surveyed by Susan Stanford
Writing about the charting of
scholars of influence are of the
Friedman. most "theorists of
literary change, Ferdinand
opinion that"there are
intertextuality try to dialogize texts,
/J() rexts, but
Brunetière, one ofthe founders of.
only reIationshipsbet:ween texts"
looking for dynamic exchanges"
the comparativist method, 'once'
(Clayton and Rothstein.S).
and/or try to locate vex pressions
01',1:0
made the point that "in considering
put in another way as Tilottama
of ongoing social dialogue" that
all the influences which operate in'
Rajan formulates,"in intertextual
could enable themto identi fy the
the history of lirerature, the
situation, a text does notcontain a
text asa "blend ofdiscourse,' or
intluence ofworks on works is the
meaning but possessesit only in
a~. a· .sustai ned . "co l Iec t i ve .
main one."
Also, 0:' Donnell
relation to other texts" (in Clayton
enterprise." Tomake a long story
Davis notesthar although new
and Rothstein, 62).
short, theconcept ofinrcrtextuality
criticism and structural ist poetics
helps satisfy the critical desire to
It isimportant that Bathki-n
have launched a series of:attacks
situatertexts within historydefined
against infl uence, this concept
considers writing as thereadingof
as a.system of representation, ~
"remainsthe mosttenaciouscritical
.the anterjor literarycorpusand the'
vast .. intertextual
space ."
metaphor jn the pedagogyand
"tèx't as arl absorption of and a
However, it.must be notcd that not
r~pfytà
theoryofliterature today"..He.goes
another tex!.»', From this
ail the.texts .aregovcmed by an
"
( .
..
" ' , . , '
.. ',' ,,:"
' .
onto
pOll1ton,.on,e can easily link these
observe thar-this metaphor
explicit intention on the part ofthe
the'6rie~t~'Kriste~a:sd~fii;itlonsof
defends the view that there is
writer to rewrite an autcr ior
-:
f.'
" , ; . :
'
always avrclationship between an
intertextLiality, basedon lier
corpus. This prompts me to share
(I{t~'rtextùal 'modït\\;~âtion of
anterior text and a posteriortext"
the thought of Jonathan Culler on
(Davis; 240). Onapersonal note,
Baklitiu's conception ofa text. In
the subject ofintertextual ity.
lcou Id not locate with precision
Kristeva's view,"in the spàce of~
Culler, probably the first
. the fineline in the quarrel opposing
gi ven text, .several utterances,
critic to transpose the concept of
the theorists of "influence" and
taken fromothertexts.Intersect
intertextuality onto the American
and ueutral ize oneindth'er';
:'intertextuality," for bath schoolsof
.critical scene, did propose a broad
(Kristeva, 36).~ Ï~ addit,ion,
def}nition of inter!t::xtuality that
".
Kristeva'daim~'th?t "imy t~xi is
views each text in tenllSo1'''a prior
......,
co~structed as a mosaic of
body of discollrse ' - other
' l
1
~ '/ ' :},;
'
• • , •••.
.'
\\ •
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, :
. quot.atlOn~; any text. is the
projectsand thollghts· which it
"
a?so[ptio-~and iransf6r~atiol;of
implicitly or expl icitly takes IIp,
another': .(Kristeva, 66r As is
prolongs,. ,c i:tes, , r~ftit~,s,
deariy shownbythese ~etiniiio,)s,
transforms" (CLIlIer, 1() 1). Seen
<~ ..
.
•
".f
•
1 rerdinand,!3runetière isqu'oled in Wellek,
..
t!le c0t\\c:ept ôf:nteliextuillity ti-i~t
froh1 this perspective, it coulcl be
.
. " .
"'
'.
"
"The 'COpq:pt of Evolulipn- in
Kr1Steva:inlti~teden~isioris"thetext
;'~as:oriably' said tl1at both
, Litcrary I~ istory."in'Col1cejJ/s0/
aS,a, dy~~;.n·i~ si.te in~hi~ I~
autobiographiès are c(:)nnected.
, CrilicislIl (New Haven; Yale UI':
relatiOl~alprocess~s'~nd:p~acticès
1963),44
whetherconstio~I~ly 61:ilOt.
.
Rev.·c.e~1yIES,~,Sér:i~.B...Y.oLQ05.N~ !-:2.2003.

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.
One way to articulate.
"Iwa:;'bofIl a' black':'
, Empire. Best, being born into a
dissimilarities ln Laye and Wright's
, 'Protestant inthe most racist
Camara-farnily meant that Laye'
.
o ' . ,
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narrators' vision and character, 'in.
state ofal! American states \\J
"belongs to one of the oldest
these two classic accounts of_
"', '[..:] Ï'lived my childhood
Malinké clans" '(Lee, 'l).1n
corningofage, is to look closelyat"
, ~nder a'racial code, brutal - .
addition, Sonia Lee and Adele
their environmènts. Why is Laye-
. and bloody, that white men
King report that colonial influence'
protected, cherished and assisted
proclaimed was ordainedof
onLayes- native region was
in his choicesbyhis parents and.
'G~d (. :.'] Mississippi is'only " ' . minimal whérihe wasachiId.,TIlere'
relatives? And why is it necessary
art immense.black ghetto.a
.were onlytwo French people in-
for Wright' to confront hostile
vast prison where the whites ,
Laye's extended environment: a'
forces: his bhlck neighbors, his
, are: the j ai'lers and the
government'official and his wifë,
frightened, highly religionsfamily,
Negroesare the prisonèrs."' ,
who iivedi'apart from Hi~
the white world, ,the world of
(Fabre:l985;82)
,
community (King, 1;Lee, lj.Last'
r~cisnl?' ,
r· '
t "
.,A'- • ~
• i ~ i .c . • ~ .: "'. : :.
ofall, Laye spent hisimportant
Layeand 'Wright corne
. Richard Wright.was.born.
formative years in a very traditional
from different famil ybackgrounds
intoa pre-individualisticsociety-s-
Malinké localè.whcrc'hewatched
and places. Richard Wright;Whô
a sociological term-thatrefers to.a'
hisfather-s performance of
became intemationallyknown as'
stage in.aculture's development
goldsmith and blacksmith'smagié
the grêatest Afriéan American'
beforeitis secure enough to allow
and livèd in his mother's loving and
riovelist, was born on' 4 th '
strong individuals to emerge.
dignifiedpresence (AC, 58).'
~
..
l '.
Septémberlvûâ-in' Mississippi:'
,
: : ~
Moreover, he -was barn into a
...
( -
As is acknowledgèd byinany
minorityculturethat.wasreligioiis,
Laye hâs thus known a véry rich
scholars.Mississippi w'as'a very
superstitious, and very passive
and more 'pleasürable childhood
racist place, in 1908.4 Richard'
(Felga~: 1980, 17). Besides,
thaïr Wrightsin ·light' of family-'
,",
l ~ .'
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. ' ;
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!
Wright's ôWIl\\iision ofMississippi
Richardwàs barn Of destitute
rel àte d 'rè'Seûél~ès tovdate',
was made public at: thèfirst-
p~rent~':Rièl1atd hù~w hÛngei,'~'
According toJamesE. Blackwell,
Conference ofNegro' Artists 'and'
recàehi'~ddomiriantrneiaphof
Hùnilie's hé lp 1 ach ie ve'<two
Writers, in 1956:,and recorded bY
in hisaJtobi6gtaph~; ariunhàppy
füiidaurental functi o ns ;' the
• , .' ; i
.'. ' •
~ '.
•
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• i ~ . "1
", ~"'.; "' ...... ~
his biographer, Michel-Fabre as
childhood and adolescence, as is
instrumental: and the :expi'essiVe'
follows: '
r"
\\ : i " ' : '
,
0
6b'0'id.lfsl{~h·d 'càh:SlH~~üY:
funct icns-: -the' ins rnlmerital·'
'.
' . : .
1
::!: ,',
d'~rNbgsir'~t~a tl1rcnigHbuVtif~
functions includeactivities such as'
•
-. 1
: ' , • . ~ ~:. •
•
•
f : .
" <11 ' i ;
book. R'ichafd Wright aptly
providing for the économie well
': .
'~
c6~yeYsthe'è~~~irig~é>&se~~eri~és;
beirigoffarnilymembers and for
.: .
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.
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f,
• .
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•
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of pove'fty on His life: worn-out
pl1ysié'â)-' and 'social-sustenance.
c'lbtliiri~:"substandâfd'~hélia'and
They contribute to thê stàbilityof
. . .~ . • ~l'
' .
~.
t I~':
'-.~
,
inâdèquatê tood, ariîoiig othèrs. 1
thefarnilywliei1111èeti'ng thebasié
.• \\'.' '•. ; .
. ~ , l
' . _."
. .
.1
l, J' " .
-'
i ,
By cbiithlst,'Laye, who,was b,om
nè'eds offoàd;lhoùsiilg, clothiilg;
~hJ .Inf' nihuà:;'{'T9'iS',j'n
and: heàlthcare, The e,xpressivè
•
- •.
~:
r
• , '
t{l-~ '"
,r, j~ ~~
.J,'
'-,~"" ~.;~: .
.
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: ~ ,
Koüroùssa, in Upper GuiIiea; in,a
fimctions deal with emotional states
•
" o r ,
- , ' " ' '
; . , : {
,-,,-;'1",
. 1 ' , '11
Malinké family,'oélongs tO.Drie Of
as reg"ards "social relations and
; ,
....
t : , . , . ' , .
-.;'
1 , "1
-"1 .. ' . ff ~-, ;
1 Qlioted in Julia:, Kristevi\\, 69,' r l
" '_""!
the mo'st important ethhic groùps
feeling belween fami Iy members
~ Susrln StrlnfordFriedmrll); in_Clrlxtoll.~I)~,
iiiat i~nn: the 'MâncÎiÂg:cÛltûré
. ,'
~dth~irpsYcl10Io0cal-\\Vell-being".
~otllst,ein: edos, 117,/ .. ;: ,:,'
)'ibid,i82' "
.
.
o . , '
. ' . '
(K1rig!'ltTHéM~li~klpec):pl~"~~i
More importantly, he
,
j ; r,
r , ' _~ , , /'"
.
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; 'Georgé E, Kent,'Jih; liis essàyi "~Richarlt
distingùished'biaglonous p~t; lt,
notes that it is in the l'ealization of
~.""
,'~
;'1~
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"1"
\\
j'
,"c.
t·)'~;~'
':
,,'
~ Wrjght:I)~Ia.c.khe~sirl.l)d.,~!l,e
.
"
Adventure of Western Culture,:';
is hrMûricaUY
'. 1 • t'
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. ' .
èst?bli~h~d
!..
. ,
~
. .
,
, ~ha!.they
the expressive functions that
,1 r
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• - -
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r'
Ili''''1' \\ J.
"
'.- 'refers to Mississipp'j' riS "the
haveocëùpied Güinè~ittêriitôty
"
,
..
'
."
r-"
, ' . '
...
,
l ' " .
f.;./
i~ê:liviat.:~rh1émb'érs'hlltïf!"'t1ie
<;. 1: 'racially n10s(, reprbssive'sta(e 'iiÏ
SÜ1c~'thé:'13th éèntury; tl1erime Of
..
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r
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l,:,"
f'
fu~'d~~ne~tal sod~ de~i~'~~ for love
.
. ' , .
. . . .
"
. . ,..
'" ...
,1; ,']- . ,;the-.union.',', C:lA,;}oll/'!1(!I;;XII
Slirièliatà~ foündët ôf thë Mali'
and affection, asenseofbelonging
q Ul1e,19~,?l; \\~~~ J',
·
'.·:":"':1 .. ,,1;'5 :-'.~
;'
t..l~~' ,-~""~' ..'

---

'",
_l·· ...'. '- ',
Sciences sociales et humaines "
to agroup, cornpanionship and,
rejecting him so totally," Obviously,
, portrayed as anoverzealous, '
group :acceptance, and self-
Fabre 'riiakes the, case that this
protective mother, by trying to '
recognition" (Blackwell, 49). The
sev~re beating hasv'brutally
preventLayefrom leavinghorne at ,
reading of L'Enfant Noir and
shattered theemotional securityhe
.theage ofnineteen (AC 155). Due,
BlackBoy againstthis background
had derived fromthe exclusive
to herstrong motherly love and:
rnakes itplain that Richard's social
affectioriof his' mother" (Fabre:
profound attachment to her son,
and psychological needs were not '
1973; '10)'; ,
Laye/s mothercould Ilot help
met, while Laye's needs were
,Bycontrast, in the opening
considering his departure for
fulfilled on every level. - '
chapters of his book, Laye
France as asign ofingratitude (AC,
Richard described his
describesthe close bond that unites
156). However, his father is
mother's beatinghiminthese tenns:
him to ms parents, and particularly
unshakably convinced that ifhis
"1was lashed so hard and long that
stresses ms total dependerice on ms
son is to meet the challenges ofthe
1lost consciousness.
mother's love. In-reporting his
future, he must go out into the
,
1was beaten
,
out ofmy senses and later 1 found
mother's beatinghim'as a result of
world. This finn vision prompted
myself in -bed, screami ng,
his playing with thesnake, Laye
hirn to be behind his son; ,he
determined torunaway" (BB, 7).
says: "My mother was' shouting
encouragedLaye to leave his loved
This' severe 'beating Richard 's
, harder than anyone.and shegave
ones (AC; l5 L-159). Definitely, in
mother inflicted onher son has
'meafew sharpslaps. lbegan to
L 'EnfantNoir boththe motherand
several implications for the
, weep, more ûpset bythesudden
Africa are associated with warmth,
narrator. Although scholars have '
uproarthan !by· t11& blows 1 had
'love, cornfort.vand securityas
'differently interpreted this episode,
received't'(Aï,', 12):lIerewe see
evidenced by Laye's dedicatirig
it certainly suggests a Jack or,
the mother"puiting'gentlyrthéchild
L 'Enfant Noir to hismother (A.C,
insufficiency oflove. In beating
on the right path: "Ihe -writér is
6),
','
Richard-insuch a severe mariner,
depicting ms motheras a lovely and
Thar Wright's family was poor and
Ella "carne close'to'expressirïgthé
kind figure.for he understahdsthat
Richard had to-fac'e all::the
most extremeform o'frej'ection":'
children whc-misbehave. are
attendant evilsofpoverty, the niost
infanticide," obséiV~s one ciitlc.
scolded whilst at the sanie time'are
éxtrerne racisrri, thcchronic
This severe, motherly, bèaiing
given warmth and lovè'(Kirig, 18~
hunger,
'the 0, 'edUCatïOIlal
effectively-dramatizes Richard
9)/It is little wonderthatthroughout
disadvantage as well ~s the soéial
:\\V.riglii's lifelong alienationand
tl1'è Güinean's-book, theAfrican
disempowèrinentcould havebeèn
insecurity.as lis'po intédout by'a
inotheris'prèseritëdas "th~ syrnbol
'somewhatbcarable and less
number 'of scho lars. 'G'ibson
ofth~ warmth-comfcrt, love ànd
traumatizing, ifhè had faced them
co ria borates thi s' :thé s'i:s 'by
'securi t)l" which are' 'the. -rnost
:îrt'thépresénce oÜii~ fatlier(Bûtler,
suggésting thatthe bèating-scene
outstandingaspects 'M'African
'~xv). The héart ofthe'mntteris that
operated as a, severing element
traditioniülife àn'dl"èulture'"
hi~ farnily was ;10tonly poor.iralso
2ausing the "emotional disruption
(Gikandi, 22):~'"
.l~~kli
0
; ' "
0 ,
:
cèased to be'muchcf a family in
of the ordinary sympathetic'bond
~
"La)"e::pro\\iidè's sound
. :
0
,
'the~èoilvèntionalsèllS'è;'asaresult
betwccn parents'taridtchi'ld,
evidence ofthë :moth~ilylove by
ofNathan Wright's abandonment
espéciafly: mothe'i and child"
~hoWirig;hùwdO'sél),'hèïs attached
, ofhis sons and wife. in Memphis'
'(GiDS"OW,' i492)! 'Ohe 'of'Wri'giiCS,
tü\\his!Jrri'6th'éi. Until! hé -is
(BB, 15&25). Obviously, it .is his
biogï-apllers;.Michel-Pabré~rjëts'às
rdréumëis~d,'.LaYeremainsthé only
father's desertion of the family that
"'kriow,that Richard 'éoùdiderèdhis
one' onhe :irïath~t."s' childreri whô
,left an even more indelible
mothèr"~' ipûrl'i shmeht:':as' ';a
'slëepsfin her ;hlit: Bêsides; ,he
1
impression ou Richard than did
"bettay~H, '~,; 'fdr hè'\\ c'o'ùld·' riot ' '
wished he could remain one 'offus
poverty. In fa ct, when Keneth
ùndér~farid 'h6w'· tfîë 'm,ù~nlài
junior brothers, close to,the '
Kin-n-aman (3fëx-presses his
figur~;'''the:sdufb~'arid .ô15jèct of
wannth and security ofhis mother,
àmazeme~t'àtRicli<irclWfignt's
ail love turi1s irito' a'f{(ry;êapable
when he leaves to further his
.
, becominga ~ritel: rather than a
,
ofplmishing nim sa' painfuhy and
studies in Conakry. The mother is
crinùnal, he had thi~' iI1~agè ~ffari~ily
5 '

---

-~.I." : ~:j -;':',-~'.' . . .r; ~-;-:'"~~.:.c::I' , ...
disorganizationin mind. 'To iiiake
\\;. ·C~: ". Psych 0 J0 gi Çflll y,.. the
He
: J ••••
[Sullivanjhad never
matters worse, almost threeyears
father's desertion makes theyoung
-seen a rnan-completeiy,
after his father's desertion, his
Richard cravefora role model, If
str i ppe d, . allsl' was
mother's life-longhealth problems
in aslight!y. differentcontextAbd91
pleased and vastlyproud
began. Of course, Richard
R,.)anMohamyd
.(11.0)
. ..
to havesuch a father.
Wrighi 's childhood was ~,':an
symbolicallysees in the absence of
especially when the
obscene and monstrous nightmare,
the father the manifestation of
father, an object lesson
a malign'inferno."l , lt was filied with
"social death" in Black Boy, it is
inv iew.made'exhibition
so many obstaç les'that. his
because, among ether things, the
dives and swam thisway
emergence as a talented and
figureofthe father isso important
i 'and that way in lithe
accomplished writer coùld not be
thatits Jack, in thelifeof.a very
. mastery. And. he asked
easily explained; it will remain a
sensitive and highly vulnerable
his fatherto promise him
mystery for a long time. Robert
individual like Richard Wright,
that he wouldteach him
Felgar develops this thoùgh! ina
literallyresuJted jnRichard 's-daily
how.to eJ9 thesethings.
very broad contextand compares
"death," substantiated in hisrage,
that he had a new ideal
Wright's emergence from the South
frustratio n.v, bitter~less'and
'.
no'N, anidealupsprung
to the escape ofthe Israelites, for
wrenching.tensions, .
. ,
i n~.a n.1Q rn i.ng's. ho li l'
African Americans in Mississippi,
-Rec ently,
a
fàm i ly
{Sullivan, 79).
in the early 20 th century, faced on
disorganizationstudymade itplain
their
ways
a
number
of
that the.absenceofa fatherlyfigure
Likewi se , with pride, Laye
insurmountable obstacles thatkept
in the homehas many devastating
portrays his fathers social position
them. "in their.place.vIn this
consequences
for
African
as the head ofa large.family and
respect, Robert Bone's discussion
Arnerican tee!1agers; "When
the reading blacksruith in the five
of the major themes in Wright's
African American fathers are not
cantons (ACl7). With due regard
writingshighlights, in a significant
present to teach their.sonshowto
to.his trade, Layt's father is an
way, how the. entire society is
be responsible men or manage their
important person; he obvjously has
mobilized to keep the African
stress ofbeing black and male in
a key social.status, for the smith
Americanin his place by restricting
the UnitedStates," the authors
within the Malinké communitv
'.
...
., -
.-
,hi~.Jreedom of movement,
write, "gangsmay offer-them the
"holds a privileged and sornetimes
,discouraginghis ambition, and
onlymaleguidance they can find
feared ppsition"and is considered
,
" .
" "
:
banishing him.rforeverjothe nether
QLUjngtheirtransitionto manhood",
"the main agentfor the transmission
._~.
..
. .
' -
.
.. .
. - ,
regions .of subordination. and
Obviously, -the study concludes:
of,.nwthologies, rites. and
inf~~iori.ty.:?2'Thisattempt to mar];
."Many young gangrecruitsare
rnetallurgical.mysteries"(Lee, 23).
offin advancetheboundaries of
boys fromfatherless hornes who
As his fatherworks with zold, he
.
,
.........
.lmman life paid offfairly.well: itjs
are hungry for male role rnodels"
watches himwith pride. Clearly,
.not surprising that Wright's pqr~l)ts
(Franklin and Franklin, 25)...;._ ..
Laye had ')- multitude ofrole rnodels
had been.keptpretty muchjn their
.. :" . Fathers. ha ve ;al ways
to choose from, an u;nbrella 'of
plaçe..... <.,':
,,_.
served aSrTole; modE;ls ,for their
id~~üpersons to ernulate. ,'.
_
..
son~:A..good iQs~ance is provided
,.~.
q
Bu,.t Wri~ht's rat,her was
'
"
,:..
\\
' . " - ' ;
in Louis H. Sullivan'S-'The
-
'.
..
--~..
. . .
' .
~
~10ta gqod l11Qdel, to. ejlwlate: In
.
•
' . J '
~__ •. ' •.• -::: ',,~'
/{uto.biogrÇlphy 9fqn Idea;where
Wf;~ghVsc~~el parènt~ll.!,p,lt: is not
..
...
i '
;" ...;
th y Y9iung suliiY,an,·Rfoudly
. :".1" ~ ; .
appl~opri ~.tely. aS.~Y.J11e,d. 1-1 is
describe~lùsfather il)a swinunil1g
. tàther'~ ,desertiollhad deva~tating
' ..
.,
sçel).e: .
.. _..
. ~ ,
eftècts on him. Wright considers
. .
. . ~. .
. . . . . : . . .
his father as al} .0i;J.;e9·.0f.strong
l Orville,Pre!ico lI..i!, Robert L l3utler, e~.,
'.,
. :J l ~
" , !
•
hostility .apd.. hlames him for
,.
"
63
.'.
. . 1 '
\\
"
,"
• .
a.1?alldoningtheJ~l11ily'<lI)d for the
.
. . . ,
'
, .
"
'Quoled by Fishburn. 1977,'11. .
,_
._.
......
t
,':. ,:..
," ,.
'". .
family'~ contim,l;:U hlU1~~I:)le is\\\\~lat
.
6

---

",..
...
.-.
\\
.' ~
Sciences .sociales et humaines.
Wright does norwantto be.In the
. of extènded familymembers has
J.·$lightly disagree with
. most patheticepisode inBlackBoy
often been the glue that has kept
Robert Felgars.viewthat"Richard
where the father and sonmetafter
African communities strong.
Wright's real favorite among his
a . quarter . of. avce nturyr.of
Richard Wright has never known
relatives, although. they fought
separation, Richard rejected the
the.typeof family carediscussed
constantly, was his grandmother,
South.and hisfather altogether
by Franklin: 1 UnlikeLaye, Wright
Granny"(Felgar:.l,<]9Q, 91 There
(BB, 34-35).lt isless surprising
didnot enjoy-the attention ofhis
are many po intsjn Wright's
that in his"confrontation" with his
maternal .family. .Wlien the
autobiography indicatingrhat Aunt
father, the fatherless Richard has
responsibility for her sonsfell upon
Maggieishisreal favorite. Although
chosen to syrnbolically "slay" his
her relatives, after Ella became
Felgerdid not reachthisconclusion
father, or "bury" his father alive,
paralyzed, Richard stayed awhile
by meansofcornparison, 1am of
and dismiss him forever (Stepto,
with Uncle Clark. This was
theopinionthat by assessing Laye's
78). His fathers desertionofthe
unsuccessful primarily.becauseof
grandmother's careful attention to
family "results in a matrifocal unit
a lack ofunderstanding from.his
her grandson (AC, 36) in relation
in which the importance of men in
uncle (BB ..,93-.98): Hencë,
to Granny's brutal attjtude, it is
Richard 's early lifewas di!nimsl~ed
Richard's coming backto 'his
difficult toaccept.such a view.
and the influenceofhis motherand
grandmother's. The regulation of
Seen from Wright's perspective,
•
. •
1
. . . . . '. . .
maternai graridmother was
life at'Granny'shouseinfuriatedthe
Granny'sfrequent bearings inflicted
maximizedvrl-elgar: 198q, l?). .
ado le scent ; .. consequently,
on.Richard can only be explained
Laye's.relationships with
Richard 's dailylife within -the
byher subjection to: racism in
the extended family are excellent:
householdbecarne verypainfuland
white society. Thus. she felt
he is very closely attached to.his
delicate. Hisrelatives persecuted
compeIled to rule her grandchildat
grandmother and maternal family,
him ·on the- .ground .oLhis
home, as societyexpects her to cio.
His.uncles.on bothsides, are v~ry
independentspiritand hishiabi lit)'
In.hisunalysis of Richàrds
friendly and treated himwith
to acceptthe religious Seventh Day
precariousness traced back to his
extreme
. kindness .... , His.
.
Adventist family faith:He wasoften
mother's beating him at the outset
,
"
- ',.'. :
grandmother and materna! uncles .
made to feel an unwanted outsider.
ofBlack Boy, Ralph Ellisongiv.es
cherish him whenever heis visiting.
But .the. teenager was quick to
anothcr-." soci a l-histor ica!
In a nutshell, the boy has always
return the family's hostility;
explanation of.his alienation; by
experienced the harmoriyof
especially that of Granny, Aunt
arguing that given the rnatriarchal .
traditionaI life.through the purelove
Addie, and Uncle Tom. The
status of the African American
of'his grandmotherand.uncles on
conflict wasso intensethat Richard
lower-classfamily, "the childturns
h-is multiple visits. to his
is obligedto defendhimselffrom
not to the father to cornpensate if
grandmother'svillage.Tindican.
theirbeatings by rneans ofa razor
he feels mother-rejection.butto the
Later.. the narrator fe lt- ..
blade and knife (BB, 108 & 159).
grandrnother, orto an aunr--
"~
the
importance of family solidarity;
Richard rejects. both of these.»
when he goes to Conakry and is
111l1s, Ellison concludes that«Such
lostin a strange land amqng people
rejection leaves the chiId. open to
who speak "! language he.does not
psychological insecurity.distrust
know, thetraditional African family
and
aIl
of
those
hosti le
structure mediates his adjustment.
environmental forces from which
He is "accepted as a soninhis
the fami ly functions to protectit»
uncle's household,and round with
','
(Ellison, 85). How can Richard
his uncle'stwo wives sorne of the
tum to Granny or Aunt Addie for
wannth and lovehe found with rus
"Nancy.Boyd Franklin and A: .1. Franklin.
motherlycompensation whenthey
mother" (King,ï,9). Tt CaJ~ be s~id,
Bo,vs Inlo Men: Raising ollr
-particlllarlyGranny-.beathim,
in. l.ight of. t.he f<;>regoi.ng
. African American Teenage Sons,
because 'of his curiosity, ar}d
.. N'e~v York:Dutton, 2000."
,
development,thatthe invÇ)lvement
' t
'
..
cleverness?What·ismore.,tI1e child
Rev:CAMES LSét'iè'B; Vok005 N° 1-2. 2003

---

Sci~nces sociale!), et humaines
is never given any.explanation
his' .relatives. whose pr.irnary
divergenifrom this.tradition in the
concerriingthe gravit)' ofhisfaults,
, objective.was to "break'vhis spirit;
sense that Wright doés not portray
as is,the case for Laye-inL'EY!fant '
becausehè was. a "bad boy;',' a
himselfas a'rolemodel'for 'l'lis
Noir'(AC,- 12). .. '! ',e::, .:
,,',
potentialdangerforthécommunity, '
réadèr'to emulate. His wayof'living
• J,'
On
the
wh01è,' the
In addition, through rus readingof
is 'hIS- wayof living: Unlikë his
members .of Richard's extended
H.,L'Mencken;'he came .to an
predecéssors,~'Wright is Ilottrying
family were'lessthan helpful-in
epiphany twhen-he ,gets' a clear
to 'show ethers the way [, .. ]
,encouraging his creativity. The
vision-ofthe South as a hell: '.'From
Wright's cry is oneofindividual
publishing of hisfirst storyin a
where in thissouthem darkness had
protest" (Fèlgar: 1'998,15-16). ' ,
black newspaper was considered
1 caught a sense.of freedornv'the
"' Throughout the book, the,
to be scandalous: while his
asks himself. (...]. "l'he people I
author-narratorhas.fought for self-
grandmother pronounced it "the
have .rriet had advised and
assertion in the face ofa crushing
Devils.work," Aunt Addie
demanded.submission" (BB,282):
environinèùf'Jù Bldck Boy, we
believed.the use ofthe word "he Il"
All.thingsconsidered, asa victim
witnessthèdeveloprnentof'a
is sinful, and Uncle Tom ridiculed
, of oppression himself, Wright by
narratorwhohlways 'wants to
it. More significantly, even his
necessity- directed his i enérgy
reéreate'Jrimself aua instthe
mother, who had encouraged him
toward rebellion. Within'his family,
defi11itlün' imposed ~y"so~iety:
to read beforehe began school,
he'was.successful enoughin his
Perhaps' 'Wr i ghts personal
and taught him "to revere' 'the
'revoltagainst Granny and'Addie
conviction ofhis innateworthand '
fanciful and the imaginative"
thathewasfinally'permitted-to
digiiity corivilléed him to do so;
(Fabre. 1985~ 3), reacted to iher
100I<: sèriouslyfor ajob: In'an essay
aùdlië\\vèmderfully succeeds inhis
son's literaryeffort by advisinghim
byAbdul R.JanMoh.amed; the
fighis, Hëconfronted obstacle after
to be more- considerate of white
latter ,explains 'the, process 'of
obstaclealoneànd emerged the
opinion (BB, ,167-9)'.. .1 sharè
Wright's resistance to hegemonie
vidor: Asis'clearly visible in Bl'aèk
Stone's view that "Thebitter irony
formation by highlightinghowthe
Boy,the writer did Ilot only endure
and .psychic burden of Wright's
persona inBlâèk BÔYiestablislies
oppression ànd-l ack of treedom in
recreated childhood is the factthat
a -spcctacular-ref ation: with
Ifi~)ii'ei1vironm ent. 'Ii e': aJso
hisown farnily, a child's first
society's atternpt.to negate'him:
sùccessfJlly-triÜ111lJlied'o\\ier'them,
landscape oflove, is also theprime
"hetumed himselfintoa mirrorthat
Withoutdaube hèis eÎ1d6wedwi1:J~
locale and instrument of white
reflected the negation back at the
a strong personality, ' ,~ i,,'
,
racial oppression" (Stone, 127). -
hegèmony' (JanMohamed, 1'081.
OileiillpOl'Üi~tpoilÙ'that
' J I ,
" : ",Laye?s life wasspent in a
The'Soùthhadnot allowed himvto
needs~ clarificât-ioi'i' for'a~;fl;I1
protected.:
"envitonmeut.
he natural, tobe real, tobemyself
appraisal of Laye 's book' reil1ains
Consequently.there wasnodrama
except in rejection, rebellion, and
lis' optimistic visionofcoloÎlihlism.
in his childhood; it was a-happy
aggression." lrideed;, Richard
As' a. 'francophile; hethought
time.Contrary.to-Wright'sbitter
refuses
to
"conform
to
French colonialism had not been
family life, Laye's wassweetand
expectations that figures of
totally négative; because he has' ho
peaceful.' It.can -be reasonably
authority, whether black or white,
idêntityproblém as aresult ofthe
defended that thishappy.childhood
impose on [him]" (Smith, 75),
colonial èncounter; hé s"l1ever lôst
is the's'ource,df CamaraLaye's
Moreover, the soiIthern
tôùël~·èithèi·with his'upbringingor
iIispiratidn and :idealism, as
conditions have forced Wright to
wi'tll tllëorig;inalMàliilkévalues
portrayed in L 'EY!fcinf. NôW(Lee;
become an individualist who'
abtoidiilg fowhiéh'he'h:i'd'heen
2 ) , '
"'; ,
asserts,himself against the world.
i~ise8".·His'cültÙi:al'iiltdgrity:is
Wright's farnily is hot
This is one important po\\nt that
jti:dgèdto Detotal and;hè·does not
receptive tçf:his ideas; he inet
particularizes BlackBoywithinthe
f~el's~'paratèdfrclIl1' 11is· pe'àpJeby
misunderstanding andwas'always
Ameridn autobiogülphical
,lIi"'; iiüier:d'i stà'ncé?l:.itit, by' a
perse:cuted; 'not only' by the
traditlûhJ-lis Îtidividillilism makes
géogtàphi'cal spac~~ \\vhèJ1'h"e was
0,
. ;
10 ••:.
.1",.'
.
. l'"
j
' 0 ,
soùthem-tacistmstitutiéms; bur'by
his life-writing significantly
Writihg'hisaùtoDiôgIlliJhyiilFiarke

---

Sciences sociales et humaines
(Lee, 15 -:-16).,
...., ,,'
'
Noir brought Camara Laye to.the
narrativeintofictionalized workand
Also..« survey of the
attentionof'Africanand European
give .the white icorurnunity
. critical reception of both works
readers. Tt brought himfame. Sonia
explanations .and themes that
further evidencesthe contrasts in
Lee reports howl.aye's short visit
forced thiscommunity"to look at
the writers" experiences, as the
to ihis home country,)n 1.954,
the realityofblacklife in America"
critiques are quite opposite one
"tumed into atriumph.vasaresult
(Felgar: 1.980,9):
anothér. Jo' be sure, striking
~f 'the. 'publishing 'of 'his
, Thus,
it
might
be
elements that rnight indicate
autobiography.tl.ee, 6}.)n muéh
acknowledged that bothbooks tell
similarities in thenarrators' reports
the same way.manycritics seeboth
sorne .deep truths about the
ofth~irgroWingup~?,perie~ces~
books, as., ' .fictionalized '
cornmunity/environment where
not inherent in both texts, per'se,
alrtobi<?~hy.2 Specifi~~lly,tlus'is
theyare set. However, though bath
Sorne rare cornmon poj nts
moreapparent in Laye's book
writers use theirlife writings to
established aie results of~~li~~ar1y
wherebyeither "the self is at the
reveal some essential truths about
efforts.
"
.. '. '. , .
same time the ethers", or through
their environments, they were
.
Many'
entres
'and
tl)!1e~pressionofits.themeswhich
accused offalsifyingreality Critics
biographers ofboth writers dra~
make its structure "much-closer to
who offereduegative appreciations
similar lines between Wright ~~d
that ';{~ novel th~n tothe l~os~r'
onthesebooks believeLaye and
Laye as weil as.tlieir books, Of,
f~r~.u~uaUy,:ass9ciat~d.with
Wrightdeliberatelyclosedtheir
course, as aütcibiog~aph~cal,
auto?iograph~ (King,2?-28).}n
eyes .to
the
rea litiesvand
accounts, both books effectively
L 'Enfant Noir, .the .author 's
'ex(J.ggeratedtheir,fantasies; The
d~cllmenttheirnaIT~tors;growing
rl?mï'niscence?h.'~v~:~~e~1given~p , .<:~cfitiquesleveled' at Black Boy
up experience from childhood up ,
ar,ti?ti~;ifon)1.·àl)~ \\.t~e,;:!p~rs9nal. " ~
weréso acerbic thatJames W. lvy
ta their teénage yéars.Laye once.,
.;b~69:~e.~::,.u:ri.iY~f~S;~li(·~~'Çl<,à.:n4,>:;:::',:f"~.Q'rice'.decided'todefend Wright. ln
s~id '~he',~üi~n.p~?taWj~.istr:!,r-:\\ ",::~~~Rf\\}~;'~nt~t!~f~;4iii\\'~1~;~~~~~~;t~;~~~1~~~~~1~~_.~~r:~I~titi~d' "Americau
L Enfant Noir IS wh.a~,J. aIjl~? ;.•.·:1. r~W1.~:2tt:'.'Pe,l,1e,iWu""'2}.~~~I,~e?(m~,.~,:.~,;:;,~g.'Wu.~~ge.r,';~;\\ht:"reruted
those who
elsewhere, Wright' explicifly , .:I}~~~côrlsçi9ûS·'(ÙWÜ).Bf{ô~portraY> ;<!;ç~lêd{Richard,Wright's childhood
acknowledged that Black Boy
himself a? .asymb.ô.h~f·tne'black.'
'atypical, and confirmedthe direct
, "tells a series of incidents strung
lower class, Wright'saccount of
' and-unpalatable truth presentedin
through my childhood."
his youth and adolescençe blends
the 'book (Hakutani: 1.982, 21 ).
,
A\\lRi6hardWrigl)t's~ritic~
his own personai history with the
One of the leaders in .the
and
sçhol ars, unanimously
universal experiences of his race
controversy was James Baldwin
acknowledge the greatness ofboth
(Fishburn.ô). ,
who once accused Wright of
the writer and his works.'. To
. .
L'Enfant
.
Noir
believing that vin Negro lifethere
mention one.specifie celebration of
' inaugurated anewa:ti~ti? genre in
exists no trad ition, no field of
Black Boy, Yoshinobu Hakutanii\\'fr:i~~n jLit~rat,ure./I:t:;.iwa.s, , ' ·'maI~ners,.no possibilityofritual or
o~ce, said that the :.book .:i~·. "T~p1~~taIJI~·th~t'L~Y~I~~ç~r;~~~;/:.<~,intercoursç'~(8aldwin~28). " ,
"generally accl(J.imednotorilya; '",.>:~?~~~i:fi,g·~l~.th~r::":::~8~~:\\t~:~~ .".;H~e~hap~,.they~1ave.m~sllnder~to~d
the finest autobiography writteriby
.. a.ut9\\j!ogrqphIcal:,gem~~lniR~ench
'"the,basIc motivebehind Wnght s
a black author, but also as one of
speak ing Africa. Before :théwriting his life story, that is. ta
the greatest autobiographies ever
publ ishing of L 'EnfantNoi!:,"the "
render ajudgment onthe South he '
written in America" (Hakutani:
b,est .black francophoneliterary
associated with "the culture of
1996, 114), Similarly.. L 'Enfant
production ~ad. been in p?etr~"
terror" (BB, 257). He has primarily
(Lee, 5). Sirni larly, Wnght s
writtenBlackBoytodenouncethe
gre~tnessliesnot only in having
fact that "the environment the
influencedblack literature, but in
South creates-is' too small to
1 On Li,~'c. scc'Ad'clc King, 1; on Wright.
writingBlack Boy; he became
nourishahuman being."? Eqllally,'
, '. sec Yoshinobu ~Iakllla~ü. 1996.
, 125.
perhaps the veryfirstAfrican
amajor controversy surrounded
Arnerican writerto extend the slave .'
L 'Enfant Noir when it was first
B.ev.CAMES-Série S,.Vol. OOS-W.1-2:2003
·9

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....
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·~tibIishëcf; if~ierrJnèd:froriÎ'Layels .
éIlfeëiéa:Abhihàili~'in'tfi~ Bfb6è~
beliefby telling and:shb\\yÏ1~gh6~:
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fellow African writèrswho'thoiight
.8rfllg wHhitgMïn~'Boj. ", <..;".;
he was 'tre'ated bnitàlly byhis .
the: book wa~'''ilo't\\poIiticaliy
"1"-';: ")0(é81I~;;en:'~yel é~in'6~.
r~Iati~e1>'That:'Wltgbt's'\\V~;fst
committed '<if; a fiinéWtteÙ"it
rè~sori~Dly:a6éûsèa'1{ürtg ï'gnotd
p{ltiisl~~iIis:sléh as'tiiosé Ile\\Ya~
·seemed'irnpossiblê'not ta
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from:Jt IS mycontëntion that \\'je .
to !~is;~f~Ci~~?ti~ê:l~'s,h;~~L[~~~rere
fü{-rmilâted o~ the bookcarnefrom
àréshapeci'By ôûh;;Î1;vlrorifu~ntV.'
inflicted by .. his ëlps.est l;ela~iv~~'
Monge :Béti: Io·àIl;95~-'issue"6f
.
,
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Âs ': l's: :1~.ngthll'y>~ai~sclis~:êd','
sl~gges.t'.h9w~eep)'y .1if.~r:\\Yâ~,
~. ,-.,'
. r~'-·r'.' 'i"~
PdsenceAjrÛain'e,
I··.·- .. ·~ ..- '·' .
this'prolific
. J " , l
erivîtcnmentalisrù'as ci tlieôry that
d6nlinit~dl)Y
."
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white ~;àcisn1"
.~
.:~
.... , .
• -:' t""
•.! . . , .,
. i.
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African-writer comparcd L'Enfaru
viêws 'éï{vi~6hment'rather 'th~ül'
(Hakùtâni:' '19'96,"127).' Parents,
.,.
.
r ·
r
Noir
"1'
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'~.1~
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,.,~, ..'
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withRichard Wright's Black
hèredhy âi'tHé' importaHiraetor:iii"
who' adopt' such' ànattitudé,'
Boy: .and
'expre sse'd :-his
'.,1 ! : t t ~."..
v , ( , \\ r . " ri.
"-,' ' " j, ",: -Ô»:
tlre'development ofthè.'ifidivldüiF
believe thafll"dtfiùg th~i i· children
l "
-
1
"
ri' • .,
, c "
t ~. ,.,. -: . ;,
disappointrnent as well asdismay
ora group.canfielp'expliéatè the
ty~!~iiIii2hÙydUiol1~e \\ViJ1pi'evë~ii:
at the "monstrous absence Ofvision
atftude' à(lopted' by 'both' Wiite'rs" .
them from resenting being treated
and depthintheGuinean's'book",
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towards
their
'respectIve
the sarnè way outside. That
•
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At the end of 'his:.düittibe, Béti
1\\"'"
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commurunes, m the processofthèir
Wii~t'spàre~1ts,a\\:ll~ts, lInc.lë~~nÇl
came to theconclusiorrthat Layé
idéntitY êdnstructldri:'II-Hlôdltion';'
,
" l i '
l '
. "
"
~
"
1 ....
gr~dparents'éti.forced the codeof
presented ;"an! idylliciand 'fàlsë
Writér~' philosophicalbeliefs iifso:
é?nd~1~!jgiven i~ tliemby th~'~hite
image of Africa'' by deliberately
accoÎ!;ü; 'to: ,Z; 'large'extent.: for
power stiuèturè isaJ~o, ij1 1inè with
closingvhis eyesito .unpleasant-
wi1at~ver paiticùlar' staridthey
the;pre:iridivi~ll~Ïistl~ S9cietyhe is
reaJity"(Lee,16-17). " . -'.~':' ,.,
adopt irHheir\\iÎsiûil'üfth'eworld.'
exploring. '
,
.. .
.i}
.
How. couldl,one: exp'ect
\\. ,... . "
~ ,
'
. , .
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It is ki'iown;fdr iiistancê;that-l50th
"
,"
Laye's r~t11~niscence9fhi,s
people' from: ~differeùt family
àuthofS ;,1 fa'tl1ered - . ;rthèîr
peaçeüil a'l)d ch~ei-fu'I,cl1ÏldI100,d>
backgrounds to prodllce typically
àutobl'ographies unde't différerit'
Inak'es hï'Il1 wrï'te 1'1'0111 thè'
the same works?'Camarà Laye is
i. '
' .
,
. , . .
. ' ,
prevaÙing ~Oilditibns: ' . ::'
"
per~pective of a young map now
notPeter AbraharBs. IfAbraHams'·
! . . ':,Laye knew the first taste
study{ù.gin Et{iope, looking back
Mine, Boyartfullydepicts the black
.1 \\ ~
,
. ,
,
•
,
.. .
•
ofexilewhèn lie)~fthome; ~1'947"
OQ his Africanchildhood with
struggle under adverse social'and
.
;
j...
•
' .
~
J
•
tb'stiidy in France: Leaviilg'behind'
I1ostalgia. The tàct that Laye never
racial conditions and l'ays a heavy'
hinainlli'sweetheart and friè'n'ds
experienced coloni~lis01tirsthand
1 •
:
.. ~
.\\
. • ; . . . .
,. . •
. " , '
emphasis onthe frustratioùs, fears,
was a'traumatlcexpenem;e:
can alsb nelp e~plain his paradi~iac
r
•
• ' . '
and dangers involve.d,ili being a
homésickness prol11pted hil11 to
vision bfAfrica. His visièm'oftàniily'
black maI1in SouthAfiica~as does
write his life story. By'contrast,'
life 'in Tindièan 'as anearthly
Richard Wright's'Black Boy,.itis
Wright was a ferV~htèornmunist
paradise; am01;nentin 1iJ'6 that the
becallse both writershavdmown
when llé"wrotë'Blatk B'oy ;'he
nanator realizes 'isnow 10stto him,
·intèmal coloüization,confening 011
bel'iev'~d 'ïd 'thé': the'or'y 'bf
Inak'es him ronlanticize'Africa.
them the statusofsilel)cedaùd
envirdnmerttàl deterrillni~in; thaf is,~
Wri'ght,c!s C;'.' 'psyc !1()logical
oppres'sed people>Furth~~,Wfigh,t
n(ùnan' oehavioris detemlïiiéd by
precariousnesSmight be trâced
. ,1 t l ':: •
f
t: ~'r
"...
e~viroi~h~nt So to'spéciK; Wright's
bâ~k ·tdhis father'sl~avil1gthe
,
.. -_----:.-'--'----'-
philos6Phy oFènvir6'rii1îentâl
tamily'and hùther 'worsenèd by his
; ' ,
dètêmul1i~mlednrnlthâèséiibe Îlié
inother;s:chrohic-h'ealtll problems.
'HQklllani. 1982:'Wrighlünd 1';lbre.ecls..
Soùth :in Sl1d~ awày'thàt a'neavY
This ïncù~ase'd,:histel1dencyto"tl
, 1978; FishblÎrn.• 19H; Felgar
eiriphasis is:Iàid ort how dailylife
self-protect-iveTebelliOii. Along' ti1e
1980. 1998.,
.1
"
cO'ùspit'és':âg'ainsf- pi'rsorial;
same lines_oLtho_ughL this
2 MQny sch~llai-s agrc~ lhal l3Iac/( B~y is q
,
'tïctiolùi\\(zed all!t1biog{à'phy:e.'g'
fi'eedol11.! Iî{ h:is'1'éns'es, 'oàt' o'nly
precariollsness explains why
.' Fclgar,,( 1998: xi).ançt,rishbll~n:
doé'S: "tfie'\\vhite' s6d'ali..~tfùcture
Ricl)ard'Wrightde,scribes himself
.
'
. (1.980,2).,!
";'01,"
'Rich~~d
coilspife agains't:his frêedOin;.pllt .
a$'~~l{:hemi>ti~'I)~l'h;~,'cf~:prl:veèl""
Wright qllotecl by YOshiilObl;
:. l'bklltQlii;·1996~!ji5.; ;': _.,'; .:
thé blâékiis\\;;rell::'~' ~~:l"';'I\\~' ~l
person;aljdwhy fie'))roj~cisupori"
J" ',.,): _\\~ "'. ,: \\. \\
L'
,1
'.".:1, ;,", Wfignt 'sub'statlfiàtês"IÙs
theconû'rilU1ity ii1 which,l1elived an

---

' ..,,~, \\~~l1,~x'p'y'ctt:;~~J~.s~ of
book. ~é}YR~tlHi~ÜPJ.9i:~ir~speCt
. h·,,':.\\~GOËlc~pt:of'.'l.E:.v,o)uti.9n in
W<lfIP.th'~(Fabre; \\9{.§, ~):~wswn,
~h~t1-ql1e Ht!~S',B~)~S~~~,~~~W!-1g9f
.: H~. ;c~Literary; !Hist6ry;:~,iinRéné
Lay~,~aS'~rhaPsji~q.idy,mç,:while
cannot be.ignored, for,.~,.'Vas, and
.;.;;:~:,:{W.dlek-;),:.,;~.e;d~'[;:'((1963).
l. e >, .l_.. ".("I.~-::'·_
~ .._
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~
•
.
• ,:
'~1 r.,_.r •• .1:...
_ f'--'jJ.t •...- ·~t~l!.,
stilLis ·~'at the.center.of'American
Wn?~t,:;yas}flR ~l!~~'L;
.C~\\';(;p,nG.e.pts~o.{;Cfiticism: New .
..
.: ...
il",',
~ .~:."J} .f. ; •.' , t4
, . s
.. , ' ~ \\
_ .
:5?H?et:i_eJl.~~~'..(f,el,gar;~·Jg~~'fi'I). ,.
'::"';"1;,:"'There!3'ia,re:: tJistiiking
')\\;\\.' HaY..ën, ~Yqle.U:e, .3,7.-5~_.
r: -;f1:. ~ }fi!1,~II~" i~ ~;W~Y;R~)àJgued
B.utlet~
dissimilarities irrl.ayeandWright's
Robert Le~~ (.1995). The
~~:~!~I;-~ye .~B, ~llgr!\\,>~t~~fmo~t
'explorafioriofthefrontiers ofJheir
.;-1-; Critical .Response
to
à!Jtobiowpr~fs,h~\\le W~~I;1 their
'personàl. identity, They.adopted
Richaf:dr::Wright:,::W.~stport,
diametricâlly opposed methods in
~çç~:~~~~~\\\\~r!;li,f,~. ~~),f./~o~.e
r{ /Conhec't;icut,:Gre,eilWo,od
,transfpnning event 9,1:.iWler pnsls
',~'\\:'~Press:, '!'.i.:,:J, .(0(;:;:'
\\.r.~.~
-,
"':;l'~ \\ . J~.
e c ,
....
_
• . . J.
_ , . _
the snapingofie:iei1tity constniction: ' .
hasoccurred in the.ir);>eings. More
Glaytàp, Jayand Rqthstcin, Eric
• • . - .
1
1,,"
. ' ,
'~J
.
-b.
_• • \\ \\ .
the rebellious, vio.lent'l and
'i~t~restirigly,R9~r.gi~~~~'~Recial
revolutionary .Wright,,:~r~~l?,.nl~
. t.: ,}'èds:.. (.19.9.T).'" :ln/luence. and
attention toparticularparts ofthe
• ' ~ _1 -In tertextua! i ty .i11'J~'Îteral'y
"Ij .. t •• •
; "
.
. . . . . . . . .
• /..:-..
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nI0derat~
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. '••c~l~serVâii~e;ànd'idylljc
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,p,as~, )i!.;.e,_.m,any :~Rpf~?slOn
1. ",;n:Hi:'Îtoi~Y;:Madison, University
'Laye::\\\\1hile ~~Y~\\pél;t.terr,s his
narratives. 'By blending-their
ige~tity' ppntiès..~ft.~r ~n?~els
,.,1 i '~of,Wisc6nsiJ:i\\Press,: ,'-'
per~~.~~i)~~~~·:vïthsoIB~:hïstorico­
Cul1er,~·.:Ionathan,
avàilab'tè iiihis conimunity, Wnght
;!.,(-l97 5).
's'üciaCconditions/elements, both
;;'; )Sthletù):ali str: P o.eti.cs:
~ ,;. ~_. :.. '.~
: ',.\\.. 1 ..I~lu·. J
defi,neshimiclf~g~~;1st his fq111.ily~
texts.speak
his'c{I1ture hissociety. Prevai 1ing
t?:~élsl}'9:~I]J~r..~~\\~
,i;(:'" 'Structuralism, .Linguistics,
~
t.' ."
• '\\
•
1.
« Ô » Ô ,
' .
•
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rlllg~Lpe ~,~e~pon,~~:t~. W~lght s
conditions in settings have
.v. ·:-anât1ù!:8fL(dYlJf,LitèratUl:e.
.
' ,
"
, l ,)
critiqueofth~ Sou~1.ançi.,~I~~~ life.
conditionedtliedevelopment of
'\\\\':'Jthacà.;, Corneil UP.
. , .
-
1
· l f , ~
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........~
~'
. ' . " • •
Ul1li~e ,Wrighrs~~9y!.hoft~no!;
both 'charâ'ctèrs, The African
Davi s.nO''Do nnc.ll
(1989).
' 0
•
_
f '
l '
l " ; ,".
"
• • r
whicl-i made'tife unbearable formm,
f:~ ~,I, slntentextua Ii ty: ,,:' l. tuid
.
)
•
• •
1 •
: . '
•
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~
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traditional s,éttmg'pi'oviqes initiar~()~1
L~yé',reQ1!rds his readers tl}flt the
ëC)l1ç1itio~~
\\ '"~;'.G8nle.J11pOMiry.- Amèiican
that pav:~ the ~~y for
traditional culture of A-fuGa,,\\\\jth its
y~Jurigsters' ~radmi~,~nd's~iIooth
,; '!: 'Fietion; Bàltimore.The John
strong '~~;Ise offamii),'~dc~ltural
integration intotheworldcfadults;
Hopkins UP.
.
wholeness constitutesan ideal
. r,'1 . '
.
' r
' .
"
_..,~.
Kodén Diara, - a .t.raditlopal
capabl~
Eakih,
Paùl JQhJl, ea (199\\).
of~oun{~~a~ti~~i,-Wr~ght's
initiadoü; c.àe'n~9.nY ,whereby
'" :',..:' '!1meriàin )l'ut~jhl(}gi"ùphy,
vision of violenceand desgaiJ:,. , \\:
~~. '."
'.~.~,,'.
,~
, ..._'lj
• • .
}
i '.J
,t~êiI~~~rs' are.:inti~o9~lcé,d .~o the
';,' M~dl~;~i1-Tlle;tjliivâsityof
worilüladuits~'is'a<;a~e,iiI point
,
.'~
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.. ".~',"j' •
:".
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'.
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Aç, 7?~'?'~'f' ,R~f~s,i ~~g.}I~Y
:S1)i~sQ.n,;~il~i~ :()~$4\\ -S~;Rrjg~v
"aùièlint~" Wi,o'ht's cOl11mg piage
. b
.
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.
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il~ ~\\;iolèrit'er{vircilùnàitlùakes
,.
,: . ,and ;~Act, . , .. New . York,
rus
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1
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.
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.
,~-.
'âgg;e~siy'~n~~s ~ ù~œ~sitY,f~r
,~; .. RanqÇlmHml.~~.; :
self-
,.,n,
'.,;.'\\ '.
Ea~~·,e'?:LMi~.!I~,I
creatiori:sëlf-dèfinition aridself-
.( .19)3 )". The
Un./inished
Quesf
(~/
assertion. AIso, both use their
Richard Wright. New York,
"autobiographical occasiOl~~.~nd
.' .,.... .' ': Morrow.
Oliainalacts"to shed lightmi sor11e
b
, .
Fabre, Michel and Wright, Ellen,
cultural pattemsof thelrrespective
Abrahams, Peter (1955). Mine
Eds (1978). Richard Wright
societies. While Laye utilizes his
Boy. New York, Knopf.
Reader. New York, Harper
life-writing to glOlifY, celebrate, and
Baldwin, James (1968). Notes of
and Row Publishers,
praise African traditions, Wright
a Native Son. New York,
Fabre, Michel (1985), The World
lises his lifestory, as a case study,
Bantam Books.
o/Richard J!/lhght, .1 acksol1,
an alibi, to lmmch a diatribe against
Blackwell, James E. (1975). The
UP ofMississippi:
the culture ofterror, paternalisl11
Black
Community:
Felgar, Robert (1980). Richard
andracial politicsthat dehumanize
Diversity and Unity. New
Wright . Boston, l'wayne'
blacks and white alike. Black
York, Dodd, Mead and Co,
Publishers.
Bov's incisive insight into Amelican
ra~ial
Brunetière, Ferdinand, "The
Felgar,
Robert
(19'98).
issues makes it a powerful
--_.........
....
--~
-... ~-
_~.-
R~;'CAM'ES ::Sé~ id~, \\l'o\\.,:005~J'r; J;:2::2003
II

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Sc;encessocia'e~ et hùma;nes
."
.
. . . . .
.-
.
.
. . . '
Understanding. Richard' . .
'.
"EditionRàdopi B:\\Z' .
Africa~:Child: Memoryofa
. ':':Wright s;· .'. Black. 'Boy.'
'. JariMohamed, Abdul R.'(1993);
. West African Childhood,
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