Richard Wright: The Library Card

Richard Wright wrote the excrept "The Library Card" during a time where African Americans had gained equality to white's, but not really. Although African American's back then had the same human and civil rights as white people did, they still lived in a hostile environment that would degress the development of African American success in society. During this time of great spirtitual struggle Richard Wright stumbles upon a newspaper that will forever change the course of his life. He goes on to read the newspaper and reads into the hateful words expressed towards the writer Mencken. He reads "Mencken is a fool", which especially keens Wright's attention since such harsh language was often used towards African Americans at the time, and Mencken was not an African American. Richard Wright wonders what Mencken could have possibly done to achieve such hatred from the Memphis Commercial Appeal. This in turn leads Richard Wright to purchase several of Mencken's books to further his understanding of the hated writer. Through the courageous acts of forging a somewhat trusted man's signature for a valid library card. This act would prove to be significant since after he checked out several of the books he redeveloped a hunger for expression and understanding. He goes on to say "I had once tried to write, had once reveled in feeling, had let my crude imagination roam, but the impulse to dream had been slowly beaten out of me by experience. Now it surged up again and I hungered for books, new ways of looking and seeing". Although the excrept leaves the reader in wonder of what happens next I am doubtless that this was the igniting of a passion that would later lead Richard Wright to become a successful and well known writer.

My personal reflection on this excrept involves me reaching a higher understanding of spiritual struggle, and concurring with the passion of expression. I learned much about the harsh conditions that African Americans had to undergo despite being granted liberty and equality. Richard Wright details how he cooked pork and beans in a sink with hot water. I felt a deep sympathy followed by a sense of anger for the harsh conditions that he underwent during his time of development into an intellectual. It also made me angry how most the remarks Richard Wright would recieve from white people when caught reading a book would often down talk his understanding just because of the color of his skin. People's ignorance seem to be an easy way to get to me, as im sure its a pretty easy way to get to everybody else including those that even act ignorant. People who often act ignorant by neglecting others usually neglect many insightful experiences and moral understandings. I enjoyed how the author spoke about his passion reffering to how it was like a drug that would leave him doped into a pespective for days at a time. He details in his excrept "It was not a matter of believing or disbelieving what I read, but of feeling something new, of being affected by something that made the look of the world different". I find it very easy to relate to this. I can relate to this because I make art, and when I do; I feel that after most the art I make through which I incorporate things that both I do and dont believe in permanently alter a perspective I have on the world and life as a whole. I can also relate to more then just the outcome of following your passion for just one session. During the process of expression or reaching a higher understanding I feel that both the author and I reach something I have come to call the "Trance of Expression" where time, and all matter collapse temporarily only to come back even more complete in our head by the end of our thoughts and expression. Hence the simple name the "Trance of Expression". I believe this exists within all artists and I believe it was piccaso who once said everybody is born an artist but many rather unfortunately grow out of their creativity through other peoples/societies impressions and influences. The education system is in an industrial format that emphasizes more on producing the future generations with a sense of hands-on step by step, rather then promoting creativity and engenuity. Expectations of percision seem to out weight expectations of creativity in the modern world through my current understanding. But circling back to the Excrept, I believe Richard Wright supported his thesis of despite having a spiritually tortured environment one can follow through to their creative passion and reach a spiritual fulfillment beyond words. He supported his thesis through explaining despite the feeling of guilt that was brought on to him through the ignorant white people of the early 1900's his passion for reading came as refuge for his situation, feeling of guilt for reading, and understanding. It was well structered with good imagery that led the reader to feel the guilt that he was feeling. I believe he did this by emphasizing on a lot of specifics in his current situation at the time, and also white peoples outlook on African American people reading and educating themselves.