Black BoyBlack Boy

Chapters 13 & Chapters 13 & 1414

Richard is dying to read, Richard is dying to read, but blacks are not allowed but blacks are not allowed library cards. library cards.

He finds a white man in He finds a white man in the office who is Irish and the office who is Irish and therefore likely to be therefore likely to be looked down on by the looked down on by the other workers. other workers.

Hoping he will be Hoping he will be sympathetic, Richard asks sympathetic, Richard asks to borrow his card.to borrow his card.

The man agrees, and soon The man agrees, and soon Richard is reading H.L. Richard is reading H.L. Mencken, whose radically Mencken, whose radically intellectual views shock intellectual views shock him.him.

Henry Louis Henry Louis "H. L." Mencken "H. L." Mencken

H. L. Mencken, was a H. L. Mencken, was a twentieth-century journalist, twentieth-century journalist, satirist, social critic, cynic, satirist, social critic, cynic, and freethinker, known as and freethinker, known as the "Sage of Baltimore" and the "Sage of Baltimore" and the "American Nietzsche". the "American Nietzsche".

He is often regarded as one He is often regarded as one of the most influential of the most influential American writers of the early American writers of the early 20th century.20th century.

Mencken is perhaps best Mencken is perhaps best remembered today for his remembered today for his satirical reporting on the satirical reporting on the Scopes trial, which he Scopes trial, which he named the "Monkey" trial.named the "Monkey" trial.

Through reading, Richard Through reading, Richard realizes that some people realizes that some people fight with words….fight with words….

and are successful. and are successful.

Despite the critical eyes of Despite the critical eyes of his co-workers, Richard is his co-workers, Richard is enchanted and reads more enchanted and reads more and more classics. and more classics.

However, he still feels However, he still feels crushed and frightened in crushed and frightened in the South, and longs to the South, and longs to get out. get out.

Finally, Richard and his Finally, Richard and his Aunt Maggie buy a train Aunt Maggie buy a train ticket to Chicago, ticket to Chicago, promising to send for his promising to send for his mother and brother when mother and brother when they get settled. they get settled.

When leaving his job, When leaving his job, Richard cannot say that Richard cannot say that he has decided to go to he has decided to go to the less racist North: it the less racist North: it would be too suspicious.would be too suspicious.

So he says that his So he says that his mother is taking him mother is taking him there. there.

Still, his co-workers do not Still, his co-workers do not like the idea, worrying like the idea, worrying that it will change his view that it will change his view of whites and make him of whites and make him bold.bold.

One cautions One cautions him not to him not to fall into Lake fall into Lake Michigan. Michigan.

Shorty is jealous, saying Shorty is jealous, saying that he could never go that he could never go North because he is too North because he is too lazy. lazy.

““This was the culture from This was the culture from which I sprang.” which I sprang.”

““This was the terror from This was the terror from which I fled.” which I fled.”