Simple but effective

K S Sivakumaran

Ralph Ellison

Richard Wright

James Baldwin

Among the earlier Black American writers I like three males for their style of writing. They were Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin.

Let me introduce a section from Richard Wright’s novel The Black Boy. What appeals to me most was the simple but effective use of the language by the writer. Students who care for better writing should read this book.

Please note how the writer begins his opening paragraph in the section prescribed. While I give some portions of Richard Wright’s writing, my helping comments are given within brackets.

“But I was still shy and half paralyzed when in the presence of a crowd, and my first day at the new school made me the laughing stock of the classroom.”

(Note the basic information is given in those two lines. Now note the following lines go straight into the incident without any embellishment. He writes in Active Voice and uses the appropriate words like ‘freeze’ to convey the experience the character had had. His was a psychological problem. Here are the lines)

“ I was sent to the blackboard to write my name and address; I knew my name and address, knew how to write it, knew how to spell it, but standing at the blackboard with the eyes of many girls and boys looking at my back made me freeze inside and I was unable to write a single letter.”

(I have left out the lines that followed to shorten the explanation. I suggest you read Richard Wright’s famous autobiographical work Black Boy. Now note the ensuing lines with simple but effective sentences)

““Don’t you know your name,” the teacher asked.

I looked at her and could not answer. The teacher rose and walked to my side, smiling at me to give me confidence. She placed her hand tenderly upon my shoulder.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Richard”, I whispered.

”Richard What?

“Richard Wright”

“Spell it”

I spelled my name in a wild rush of letters, trying desperately to redeem my paralyzing shyness

“Spell it slowly so I can hear it,” she directed me.

I did.

“Now, can you write?”

“Yes, Ma’am”

“Then write it"

(Look at the following paragraph to note the dramatic aspect in the situation)

“Again I turned to the blackboard and lifted my hand to write, and again I was blank and void within. I tried frantically to collect my senses but I could remember nothing. A sense of the girls and boys behind me filled me to the exclusion of everything. I realized how utterly I was failing and I grew weak and leaned my hot forehead against the cold black board. The room burst into a loud and prolonged laugh and my muscles froze.

“You may go to your seat,’ the teacher said.

(Observe the adverbs and the verbs that the writer uses in the above paragraph. Finally the concluding part is a self-assessment of the character’s shyness. Also note the pithy and short sentences)

“I sat and cursed my self. Why did I always appear so stupid when I was called to perform something in a crowd? I knew how to write as well as any pupil in the classroom, and no doubt I could read better any of them. And I could talk fluently and expressively when I was sure of myself. Then why did strange faces make me freeze? I sat with my ears and neck burning, hearing the pupils whisper about me, hating myself, hating them”

Ultimately the character comes to realize that it was shyness before a crowd that made him freezes.

I am sure some of you have appreciated a sample of Richard Wright’s simple but effective writing.

Next week let us get introduced to Ralph Ellison. Good Reading.

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