Essay on "Big Black Good Man"
Essay 3 pages (1034 words) Sources: 1
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Big Black Good Man, one of a series of short stories in the book Eight Men, Richard Wright clearly shows how black males were wrongly perceived by society in the mid-1900s. Olaf, the protagonist may deceive himself that he is not a racist, yet the readers quickly recognize him for "showing his true colors." Even at the end one is unsure whether or not Olaf recognizes the truth about himself.The story starts out with Olaf reflecting about his sixtieth birthday while he is working in a hotel as a night porter. He defines himself as a typical man, married, owning a home, and finding pleasure in gardening, and is proud of being an open-minded, well-rounded person. Olaf believes that he is content with what he has achieved in his sixty years, yet this is questionable given his other thoughts. Olaf is one of those individuals who has difficulty facing reality. For example, he repeatedly tells himself that "money ain't everything and he is "satisfied" with his life (94). He refrains from being too self-retrospective for fear of what he will find as the truth.
The tranquil scene in the hotel totally changes when Jim, a huge "ebony giant," (96) comes looking for a room. Olaf is immediately overwhelmed by disdain and fear as his shallow, insolated world is disturbed. It is not just Jim's race, but the totality of his size, color and attitude that Olaf cannot handle. The way that he reacts to Jim demonstrates how Olaf sees others not by who they are as a person, but rather by their outward appearance.
Olaf attempts to persuade himself that he is not bigoted, "To Olaf men were men, and in his day, he'd worked and eaten and slept and fought with all kinds of men" (
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At first one can give Olaf the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps if a huge, muscle-bound white man walked into the hotel he would have also reacted in a negative and fearful way. After all, he was very insecure about "how puny, how tiny, and how weak and how white he was" (96). Yet readers soon begin to realize that Jim is not a "beast" who will cause harm. Olaf's fears are all in his mind and based on his own personal irrational stereotypes and biases. Black men were supposed to be quiet and subservient in a white establishment. They were not to be gruff and loud and assertive, as Olaf saw this new arrival.
Olaf's prejudice is also… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Big Black Good Man" Assignment:
“"BIG BLACK GOOD MAN" by Richard Wright. In a well-developed character study, debate the argument that Olaf is a racist. Be certain to evaluate the point of view in which the story is written; by taking this into account, remember the positives and negatives of this particular point of view and what it may reveal about a character to the audience. Also, examine the various types of irony present in this story. In concluding the paper, be clear in asserting whether Olaf is a racist or not, based on the evidence provided in the paper. .
- 5 paragraph minimun, double-spaced
- introduction that contains the major thesis of the essay. State the element you are evaluating as well the title and author of the selection you are analyzing in your intro.
- refer by the author by last name only....after you have introduced him/her in the introduction by full name.
- one paragraph of plot summary, 5075 words or less, main purpose of the paper is analysis, breaking down the whole into smaller units or parts to evaluate how these smaller portions contribute to the whole work.
- if you use critical quotes within the text of the paper, then you must provide s Works Cited Page, MLA Format
- no "I", no first person perspective, no contractions in formal writing
- be careful with pronoun usage; No vague pronouns
- must have a concluding paragraph which effectively closes out the paper
- use transitions from one idea to the next, avoid using first, second etc
- do not use abbreviations; spell out numbers up to 15
- avoid the following types of phrases "and so on" "etc"
"to name a few", and so forth
- writing devoid of grammar and spelling errors
- a proven thesis and relevant introduction
- carefully reassoned and planned organization that exemplifies logical thinking
How to Reference "Big Black Good Man" Essay in a Bibliography
“Big Black Good Man.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2007, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/big-black-good-man-one/890444. Accessed 3 Jul 2024.
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