Introduction
The short story “The Man Who Went to Chicago” by Wright offers insight into Richard, a black man in the 1960s, as he changes jobs and encounters new environments. As the narrator takes on each new occupation, he learns more about himself and the world he now lives in. In particular, the revelation of self-hatred and the fear of one’s presentation and identity are apparent in all stories that Richard recalls, as these concerns dictate black people’s behavior in the segregated society.
Theme of Self-Hatred in the Short Story
The short story’s setting lays the foundation for the protagonist’s thoughts upon his arrival in Chicago. The audience learns that Richard has moved to the city from the south, where the relationship between white and black people is still greatly affected by the long history of slavery. Therefore, black people are treated horribly, and although they can live freely and work, they are still mistreated and viewed as inferior to white people.
When the protagonist finds his first job at a business owned by Jewish people, he carries that fear of persecution with him. The man believes that the white bosses are not interested in helping him. However, as Richard later reflects on that job, he realizes that his initial assumption was incorrect.
The first part of the story presents the character’s initial reflection, exploring the self-hatred many black people have developed. Richard states, “being an organic part of the culture that hated him, the black man grew in turn to hate in himself that which others hated in him” (Wright 213). This idea permeates the other stories in some way, defining the central theme of the accounts: self-hatred shapes the formation of black identity and black people’s thinking.
As a result, the protagonist is afraid of people fearing him, based on the history of persecution and violence that black people face. The fear of self and how others perceive one alters a person’s behavior, causing them to doubt others. Moreover, it causes him to uphold the divide between black and white people.
A fascinating dissection of this problem is seen in another story that Richard tells. When working as a dishwasher at a café, the man notices that the cook, a white woman, spits in the food. However, as the only black man at the café, he hesitates to report this, thinking no one would believe him. Here, one sees how the idea of self-hatred recurs, leading the protagonist to doubt his place in society and his value as a human being. This fear stems from within, as the man also recalls that all his coworkers treated him with respect and without fear.
Nevertheless, the history of slavery has affected Richard’s being, and thus, self-hatred cannot simply disappear. In the end, the protagonist shares what he discovers with another employee, a black woman. As they argue, the characters both understand that they experience the same fear, not being believed by their white bosses about what they saw with their own eyes.
The self-hatred is challenged further in the resolution of this story. As the girl Richard shares this secret with tells the boss, the woman who spat in the food is fired. The initial disbelief that the boss has reinforces the black characters’ self-hatred, feeding into the idea that society sees them as untrustworthy. However, the boss promptly fires the cook, implying that her first reaction was simply a response to learning of something unthinkable and surprising.
Once again, the identity-forming self-hatred is challenged by the society in which the character has found himself. This contrast between Richard’s old and new life is challenging to accept, as some people still treat him harshly. Nevertheless, the doubt he has about others is continually refuted by people’s behavior, and he learns more about the formation of his identity through this contrast.
The fear of self has deep roots in the United States and is present in the story’s period and modern times. In our present-day world, racism against black people persists as one of the significant social issues, which makes the identity concerns that Richard raises in his reflections relevant today. Although segregation laws are a part of history, racist ideas and hatred are still present in society. As a response to that, the black identity may still harbor a part of the self-hatred and fear described by Wright.
Conclusion
The short story “The Man Who Went to Chicago” is a notable work that illustrates how history has both changed and remained unchanged between the 1960s and the present day. It also offers the reader an inside look at the formation of black people’s identities as the protagonist analyzes his past and the stories of other black people in the South and North. Overall, I would recommend this short story to others to gain a deeper understanding of how the history of slavery has shaped the world we live in today and how it continues to affect Black people.
Work Cited
Wright, Richard. Eight Men: Short Stories. World Publishing, 1961.