Essay on "IT's Impossible to Judge a Book by Its Cover"

Essay 5 pages (1360 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Judging a Book by its Cover

We repeatedly hear that it is impossible to judge a book by its cover and nothing proves this to be more true that Richard Wright's short story, "Big Black Good Man," where people are not quite what they appear to be. In the story, the two men are complete opposites from one another and while we are tempted to form an opinion about them according to stereotypes, Wright illustrates why we should never do such a thing. Olaf judges Jim by how he looks and behaves, a judgment that turns out to be misguided, proving himself nothing more than a silly, old racist. Olaf allows his preconceived notions influence what he thinks about Jim even though Jim never does anything directly to Jim to deserve it. Olaf's thoughts allow us to understand racism. It is through Olaf that we discover the irony of prejudice in the story. In short, the man we should fear is the one behind the counter, not the man that looks like he squash a man if he wanted. In the end, Jim reveals that he is not the black beast that Olaf has feared throughout the story, demonstrating that a man's character cannot be determined by his appearance alone.

Olaf is the quintessential racist white man, fearing a black man that happens to be larger and stronger than he is. Margaret Marshall observes that Wright's stories lay bare the "lower depths of the human relationships between the blacks and the whites" (Marshall 417). Olaf illustrates this when we read that he was tempted to "refuse a man a room solely on the basis of the man's size and color" (Wright 263). It is important to note that Olaf is completely aware of his feelings and why but he does not feel compelled to do anything about them. He gives Jim a room but is not happy about it; when he discovers that Jim is a wealthy black man, we see even more resentment. We read, "Resentment clogged his pores of his wrinkled white skin" (Wright 264). In addition, without provocation, Olaf cannot "shake off a primitive hate for that black mountain if energy" (266). Olaf lives a life filled with hatred because he is prejudiced but he does not think that he is. In fact, he denies the thought only to follow it by stating that God should not make men that are so big and so black. Olaf is like every other individual that does not think there is anything wrong with him or her. It is easy to find fault in others and even easier to justify our own silly behavior. However, Olaf has the bigger problem of the two men because his trouble lives in his own heart.

Through Olaf's thoughts, we are able to understand how racism exists in the human mind and how that plays out in life. Ralph Ellison maintains that Wright attempts to "discover and depict the meaning of Negro experience; and to reveal to both Negroes and white those problems of a psychological and emotional nature which arise between them when they strive for mutual understanding" (Ellison 420). We understand the complications Jim might encounter through Olaf's behavior. By revealing Olaf's behavior this way, we understand how outrageous it is. Alsen asserts, "Wright did not care if his work was 'indecent' or if the public liked it. One of his chief concerns was to achieve a 'dramatic realism' that would destroy the stereotypical image the public had of African-Americans" (Alsen). Every reference to Jim is associated with blackness, as if this is something to be feared. He is called a mass, a giant, and a mountain but never a man. Wright accomplishes this with the character of Jim, a passive-aggressive racist at heart.

At the heart of the story is the irony of Olaf's prejudice. Candyce Norvell contends:

The story asks readers to consider whether traditional gauges of morality... are really accurate measures of a man's goodness. It demonstrates that a man may live a conventionally moral life and… READ MORE

How to Reference "IT's Impossible to Judge a Book by Its Cover" Essay in a Bibliography

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