120 Days And Black Boy Analysis

Who can we be? In literature, history, and politics, this question, or a variation of it, is ongoing and people have continually been looking for an answer. Our world is far from perfect, and there is always room for improvement. We still have many issues today with disease, suffering, hunger, racism, sexism, and many other forms of injustice. The answer to “who can we be?” paves the way for an improved society, and even a better world overall. In this ideal world, there would be complete justice and equality for everyone. 120 Days and Black Boy have many similarities, and one of them is that they seek to answer the question “who can we be?” Neither of these works have a clear-cut answer to it, but through the experiences of Richard Wright …show more content…
They both do this and are simultaneously a part of and excluded from their communities, as they contribute so much, but are also minorities who are viewed by society as a problem. 120 Days is a documentary that explores issues of immigration in America and it shows what it really means to “be American” through an immigrant’s perspective. Although this country boasts “liberty and justice for all”, and having the opportunities to fulfill the “American dream”, we can see from the Cortes family’s experience that that isn’t completely true. Throughout the film, it is clearly demonstrated that this family is extremely selfless, as they have given so much to their community, even though they don’t have much themselves. In one scene, Miguel and Maria Luisa even receive an award from the mayor of Raleigh for outstanding citizenship. It was incredibly emotional to watch, because this was just 2 months before Miguel’s deportation. No one knew this though, and as a result, …show more content…
Wright is one of the few people in his community that challenges racism and inequity. As a result, he is often shunned by his peers and elders. His goal is to have a positive impact on society so that someday, less people will have to deal with those things. He says that “the problem of human unity was more important than bread, more important than physical living itself; for I felt that without a common bond uniting men, without a continuous current of shared thought and feeling circulating through the social system, like blood coursing through the body, there could be no living worthy of being called human.” Here, Richard has just joined the Communist Party, and he is expressing his thoughts on why he believes it’s the best thing for humanity. Richard is bewildered that in this group of people, the members don’t treat him any differently than his white counterparts. As communists, they embrace equality, and Richard had never experienced that before. He believes that communism is America’s only hope, and that it will unify its people. Richard’s answer to “who can we be” focuses on who we can be as a society and what we can do to create a better future. That starts with individuals wanting to make a change, and uniting in order to make those changes happen, despite any obstacles