Reading 15: "Big, Black, Good Man"
As I was reading "Big, Black, Good Man" by Richard Wright, the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" popped into my head. I think the author captures prejudice as well as judgement based on appearance very well in this story. Even if we don't mean to, often our first impression of someone or something is what we hold onto. Instead, this narrative argues that shouldn't be the case. Wright also uses descriptive language to enhance the story. As Olaf builds his hate for the man, his thoughts also continue to reinforce the same opinion Olaf held of the man when he first came to the hotel. The descriptions of the man are continually the same, laced with negative tone. That however changes at the very end. I think this story, among many things, also acts as a reminder that what we feed ourselves, our thoughts, will heavily influence our opinions; the mind is powerful.