Wright's Realization

At the end of the novel Wright realizes that the Communist Party has many limitations and he no longer wants to be one of its members. He first joined the Party because he thought communists did not have racial prejudices; and he was accepted even though he was black. However, he realized that the communists were prejudiced against his education. They considered him an “intellectual” and wanted to fire him from his writing job because he wouldn’t conform to their way of thinking. They did not like the tone of his thoughts. The Party members were afraid of him for having independent thoughts and not conforming to their mold. They “habitually feared a man who stood alone” (373). Even those members whom he thought were his friends accused him of being a Trotskyite and a traitor. Despite the fact that Wright “had officially (been) accused of nothing, he was an open enemy in their eyes” (381). Finally, Wright was physically thrown out of a demonstration march the communists were holding. This was the last straw. He realized these men were ignorant and did not understand that Richard was only trying to write about blacks and party members as human beings. He was only trying to understand their feelings and reasons for joining the Party.

Although he had “suffered a public physical assault”, he was not “belligerent” as he realized he had “outgrown (his) childhood”. Wright knew that these people were blind and their purpose was wrong. Communism was not about helping people to become better or to help them stand on their own feet and think. Rather, it was about accepting the party’s rules and fitting into the party’s mold. Being a Communist was a blind commitment to a faith that was ill-conceived. Wright realized he would “never again make so total a commitment of faith” (382). He was growing up and would have to search and figure out where he fit in. He would have to get back to analyzing and writing about how “to live a human life”. He had a “hunger for a new way to live”, yet it scared him. He was not sure what to do or where to go. He only knew he wanted a better life. When he realized this, he tried to write, but his feelings got in the way. He wanted to be able to choose the right words to express his thoughts, but it would be a struggle. Yet, he would be hopeful and wait until he knew what to say. Through his writing, he would use his words to “build a bridge” between himself and the “world outside” to keep alive what was “inexpressibly human.”