The Ethics of Living Jim

In times today, it is not common to see people call someone sir in order to be formal. In Richard Wright’s time, it was the only way. Wright was an author known for his controversial writings about african american struggles of his time. He wrote The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch, which is an essay describing different points in time where Wright struggled with racism. It begins with him being a child in a “war” with the white kids from a different neighborhood. He is disadvantaged and gets hurt, so his mother tells him not to fight with white kids anymore. Once he grows older he tries to find a job. His two coworkers don’t like the fact Wright works with them. They accuse him of not addressing them with a proper Sir. He had to leave the job completely so he wouldn’t be beaten by them. He wrote all of these horrible memories down so people who did not experience what he did, will know what it was really like to be black in his times. He also wanted to explain the black people’s perspective on this. To explain, he quotes one of his friends, “Lawd, man! Ef it wuzn’t fer them polices ‘n’ them ol’ lynch-mobs, there wouldn’t be nothin’ but uproar down here!(170)” This quote explains they are in such a bad situation they are even thankful for abusive policemen and lynchings. If it weren’t for them, everyday white people would be abusing and murdering them publicly. The personal narrative perspective really affected the reader in this essay. Whenever Wright was scared it made the reader scared and feel what he felt. This essay is split into different little numbered stories. All of the stories are very different, in length, amount of dialogue, and plot. Because one story may be much longer than another, this shows how much even a little life event can affect someone entirely.

Thomas D. Rice shown in his black face costume, highly influential in Jim Crow issues

Source: Edward Williams Clay (1799-1852), published by E. Riley, New York