"Shouting curses": the politics of "bad" language in Richard Wright's 'Black Boy.'.

Citation metadata

Author: Jennifer H. Poulos
Date: Winter 1997
From: The Journal of Negro History(Vol. 82, Issue 1)
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Document Type: Article
Length: 7,176 words

Main content

Abstract :

African-American artist Richard Wright's 1945 autobiography 'Black Boy' demonstrates the role of foul language in African-American self-expression. Wright focused on the social and political dimensions of bad language by associating obscene and dirty words with the concept of inappropriate speech according to a racist society. He exposed his devilish side capable of inflicting harm not only to himself but also to others through the use of profanities.

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Gale Document Number: GALE|A20757362