Physical Hunger - Richard Wright

Hunger is a word thrown around so often that it loses its true meaning. Today's middle class citizens really cannot relate to actual physical hunger. In fact for most of us, hunger could simply be when there is nothing to eat around the house; therefore we skip a meal or two. According to the novel, this cannot even compare to the days when the character, Richard Wright, endured without food. Not only does Richard Wright show his hunger for food, but hunger for acceptance and knowledge of himself and how others see him. Richard Wright’s physical hunger surpasses his hunger for acceptance and knowledge, giving the reader an insight to his living conditions and feelings. Poverty does not limit Richard Wright desire for education because he found his own opportunities to learn. Through his life experiences not only does Richard Wright suffer from physical hunger, but his hunger also stems from emotional and educational hunger as well.

Physical hunger was a constant problem for Richard Wright. It has been observed that Wright’s hunger stole upon me so slowly that at first I was not aware of what hunger really meant. Hunger had always been more or less at my elbow when I played, but now I began to wake up at night to find hunger standing at my bedside, staring at me gauntly. The hunger I had known before this had been no grim hostile, stranger; it had been a normal hunger that had made me beg constantly for bread, and when I ate a crust or two I was satisfied. But this new hunger baffled me, scared me, and made me angry and insistent… I would feel hunger nudging my ribs, twisting my empty guys until they ached. I would grow dizzy and my vision would dim. I became less active in my play, and for the first time in my life had to pause and think of what was happening to me. (14-15) After the departure of Richard Wright father, Richard Wright began to experience constant starvation. This often reappears in Richard Wright life. The type of hunger that Richard Wright describes is worse than one who has not experienced real hunger can even imagine. The narrator says, "Once again I knew hunger, biting hunger, hunger that made my body aimlessly restless, hunger that kept me on edge, that made my temper flare, hunger that made hate leap out of my heart like the dart of a serpent's tongue, hunger that created in me odd cravings" (119). This is because hunger has always been a part of Richard Wright lifestyle; he cannot even imagine eating meat every day. This simple pleasure would be a miracle to him.

Emotional hunger is also a great part of Richard Wright’s life. Richard Wright desires attention from people. Since he barely receives any attention from his family, he does not really know how to get along with others. This creates a problem when he leaves his house because he cannot understand the friendliness of people around him. The narrator says, "Nevertheless, I was so starved