Wright's Response to his Mother's Paralysis

Wright changes when his mom goes through paralysis. He becomes conscious of his surroundings and is now terrified of being lonely because he is on his own without any one to depend on. He can no longer feel or react like a child, but must act more like an adult. Wright’s desire to play is gone and he now thinks and worries constantly. He worries about his hunger, his mother, and whether his Granny will get his letter so that he can live with her. Wright is worried about the future and what will become of him. Although hungry, he stops accepting offered food because he is ashamed that he is often fed by strangers. In the end, he withdraws into himself. He looks at joy with suspicion and he realizes he will always be restless and on the move. He changes from a rebel to an individual with a fixed attitude for life.

The impact of his mother’s suffering is so great it grows into a symbol in his mind. It is a symbol of how his childhood was and how his life will be with poverty, ignorance, and helplessness. He realizes he can not control many things in his life and it is full of pain. His life is like the suffrage of his mother. Like his mother is trapped in her sickness, he is trapped within his environment (always moving and hungry).