Dramatic Irony In Richard Wright's 'Big Black Good Man'
Jamilah Gorham
S. Peace
Eng.131-NT1
16 April 2014
Big Black Good Man
“Big Black Good Man” by Richard Wright is my favorite story that I have read in English 131 this semester because of its conflicts, characters, and both its verbal and dramatic irony.
To start, I believe that the time period in which Richard Wright wrote “Big Black Good Man” racial intolerance was an utmost factor in that time, and during this time size and color was daunting because hate was so durable. With that being said, conflict plays a major role in the story. A main character, Olaf makes all types of assumptions about Jim who is referred to as the big black, …show more content…
good man. Throughout the story Olaf’s character is fit to him being worldly being that he has traveled around the world and has encountered with diverse people, but when it comes to a second character named Jim, the words Olaf uses shows a different side of him. It is so that Olaf visually perceives Jim as being “unhuman… Too big, too black, too loud, and probably too violent to boot” (185). Taken into consideration, I must contemplate that Olaf is prejudiced, not racist because he assumes things about Jim by his appearance before getting to actually know him.
Furthermore, characters played its role throughout the entire story.
This role is played amongst two different characters who respond in contrast to the big, black man. Olaf who predicated throughout the story to be blissful with his life and has respect for others, suddenly changed to fear as soon as the immensely huge, ebony man enters the hotel. Jim, whom is the big, black man referred to in the story, is considered to be vicious and loud in the mind of Olaf, and is considering killing Jim. On the contrast, Lena who is financially bound is willing to do anything as far prostituting to get money so she can take care of all four of her children. In her consideration, Lena just visually perceives Jim as a man with manly needs, “He’s just a man. You just leave that to me. You don’t have to do anything. I’ll handle ‘im” (187). Lena thought of Jim as a man who had decent money, and there was nothing about Jim that brought fear to Lena, like it did …show more content…
Olaf.
Additionally, both verbal and dramatic irony play a role in showing Olaf as being racist.
Verbal irony in the story is Olaf’s problem with size and power, not color. Seeing that Olaf has had a positive encounter with different men, it appears to me that he would have no unruly with Jim. Nevertheless, Olaf denies Jim of a room in the hotel just because Jim doesn’t appear to fit the classification of what he mentally considered to be tolerable, “Oh, if only the man were small, brown and intelligent-looking” (187). This verbal irony shows that Olaf is signifying that if Jim fit the classification of being a small, brown and intelligient man, then it would make Jim a better person. Olaf doesn’t realize the meaning behind his own words which signifies that he finds small, brown men to big, black men more tolerable, reflecting that Olaf is not racist, but prejudice. Dramatic irony is shown when Olaf states that Jim is “a big black good man” (190), when Jim presents Olaf with nylon shirts, reflecting that Jim is returning the favor. Olaf sees Jim’s good deed as a type of praise, but all in all it’s much of a superior
proclamation.
In conclusion, with conflict, characters, verbal and dramatic irony playing major roles in the story, this together sum up the fact that Olaf is not racist, but afraid of Jim. Olaf has a limited omniscient point of view when it comes to him revealing his true feelings about Jim. This story to me reveals that one should not base their opinions, judgments or thoughts about someone, based on their physical features.
Works Cited
Wright, Richard. Big Black, Good Man. 1957. Print.
S. Peace
Eng.131-NT1
16 April 2014
Big Black Good Man
“Big Black Good Man” by Richard Wright is my favorite story that I have read in English 131 this semester because of its conflicts, characters, and both its verbal and dramatic irony.
To start, I believe that the time period in which Richard Wright wrote “Big Black Good Man” racial intolerance was an utmost factor in that time, and during this time size and color was daunting because hate was so durable. With that being said, conflict plays a major role in the story. A main character, Olaf makes all types of assumptions about Jim who is referred to as the big black, …show more content…
good man. Throughout the story Olaf’s character is fit to him being worldly being that he has traveled around the world and has encountered with diverse people, but when it comes to a second character named Jim, the words Olaf uses shows a different side of him. It is so that Olaf visually perceives Jim as being “unhuman… Too big, too black, too loud, and probably too violent to boot” (185). Taken into consideration, I must contemplate that Olaf is prejudiced, not racist because he assumes things about Jim by his appearance before getting to actually know him.
Furthermore, characters played its role throughout the entire story.
This role is played amongst two different characters who respond in contrast to the big, black man. Olaf who predicated throughout the story to be blissful with his life and has respect for others, suddenly changed to fear as soon as the immensely huge, ebony man enters the hotel. Jim, whom is the big, black man referred to in the story, is considered to be vicious and loud in the mind of Olaf, and is considering killing Jim. On the contrast, Lena who is financially bound is willing to do anything as far prostituting to get money so she can take care of all four of her children. In her consideration, Lena just visually perceives Jim as a man with manly needs, “He’s just a man. You just leave that to me. You don’t have to do anything. I’ll handle ‘im” (187). Lena thought of Jim as a man who had decent money, and there was nothing about Jim that brought fear to Lena, like it did …show more content…
Olaf.
Additionally, both verbal and dramatic irony play a role in showing Olaf as being racist.
Verbal irony in the story is Olaf’s problem with size and power, not color. Seeing that Olaf has had a positive encounter with different men, it appears to me that he would have no unruly with Jim. Nevertheless, Olaf denies Jim of a room in the hotel just because Jim doesn’t appear to fit the classification of what he mentally considered to be tolerable, “Oh, if only the man were small, brown and intelligent-looking” (187). This verbal irony shows that Olaf is signifying that if Jim fit the classification of being a small, brown and intelligient man, then it would make Jim a better person. Olaf doesn’t realize the meaning behind his own words which signifies that he finds small, brown men to big, black men more tolerable, reflecting that Olaf is not racist, but prejudice. Dramatic irony is shown when Olaf states that Jim is “a big black good man” (190), when Jim presents Olaf with nylon shirts, reflecting that Jim is returning the favor. Olaf sees Jim’s good deed as a type of praise, but all in all it’s much of a superior
proclamation.
In conclusion, with conflict, characters, verbal and dramatic irony playing major roles in the story, this together sum up the fact that Olaf is not racist, but afraid of Jim. Olaf has a limited omniscient point of view when it comes to him revealing his true feelings about Jim. This story to me reveals that one should not base their opinions, judgments or thoughts about someone, based on their physical features.
Works Cited
Wright, Richard. Big Black, Good Man. 1957. Print.