Think about Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death. What do all these things imply about the black man's condition in this society? Why does Richard "have to" die? Why does he make the decision that he makes?
Richard was a very intelligent due o his circumstances. He was not intelligent because he attended and did well in school, he didn't even attend school due to his living situation as a young boy, but he did make sure he learned what the white man knew. He wanted to learn what they knew and learn it better than them. He went to libraries and museums to learn.He read books Richard learned everything he could on his own.On dates he would take Elizabeth to museums so she could get educated also. Richard was big on education even though he didn't attend school. He wanted to be somebody, but lack of education was holding him back from doing so and also the fact that he is a black man in a white man's society. Richard was in jail for a little while because a couple boys robbed a white man's store and they stood by him and the police took everyone. Not long after being detained in the cell he was found not guilty and released. When he was released Richard went into some sort of depression I am not sure why. Maybe he gave up on life and felt like he will never go anywhere in life due to the hand he was dealt. If Richard would have never died Elizabeth and Gabriel would have never gotten together and John most likely would have not been saved because Elizabeth was not devoting her life to God she devoted it to Richard and Richard was living in sin.
Richard was a very intelligent person due to his circumstances as a black man in a white man's society. It is quite interesting to see how Richard wanted to learn what white people knew because he felt that if he taught himself to be better than them than he can last in this society. At the end of the blog it's great that you stated that Richard had to die for Elizabeth to end up with Gabriel. If Richard would have never died than Gabriel would have never been a father to John. Overall this was a very decent and straight forward blog because to me it hit on most of the points of what's being asked from the blog.
Richards’s education, his dates with Elizabeth, and his death all implies that it was a constant struggle for black men at this time in society. It was a struggle socially, physically, and mentally. Richard choose to educate himself. He was barely educated as a child so when he became a young man he always read book and when him and Elizabeth came north he even began going to school at night. Richard became very intelligent, but also bitter. He had so much hate in him. He wanted to prove to white people, who looked down upon him, that he was just as smart as them. Richard equated education to respect. He thought that if he knew everything they (whites) they wouldn’t talk down to him and treat him like dirt. However, he was still treated badly. I think Richard took Elizabeth on dates to museums and things to show her how much knowledge he had acquired but also to show her that they could do what the white folks were doing. Richard physical and mental challenge came when he was beaten, held in prison, and charged with robbing the store with the three black boys. Although he didn’t do it and got out of jail he felt ruined. Richard had been working hard to build a name and a reputation for himself. But it was all tainted when he went to jail. He was just like all the other black men. He knew he would never he seen in a “positive” light again, especially since he had a case with the police. And that’s why he felt he had to die.
I find it very interesting that would say he had to die because of how he would never be seen as a positive citizen again. I know during their times it was much harder for a black African American male to succeed because of their color and background, and by getting in law trouble, that would only make the situation worse. I like the fact that you added those key points in your blog. I felt if he would have given it more time he eventually would have been giving a little more respect as a black man, but if he wouldn't have died Elizabeth would have never found Gabriel.
I like the fact that you said that he would basically not be looked at as the person he was before he went to jail and so he felt as if he didn't have a reason on why he should even be living.
Richard was not well educated in the sense of going to school, but he was educated liberally. He enjoyed going to museums to learn about history. On dates Richard would take Elizabeth to museums to show her how educated he was museums history. Richard did not go to school when he was young because his mom died and his dad walked out on his life, so there was no one to guide him and help him go to school. All of the things that happened to Richard implies that a black man's condition in a white society is that he'll never make it.A black man will never become successful and well educated because white people refused to let the Black Family have great economical benefits as they do. Richard went to school at night because he needed to make enough money during the day. A black man in this society and even in today's society gets discriminated against whenever they are around a crime. Just because Richard was found on the scene of the crime the police arrested him and threw him in jail. Richard had to die for he sake of John. Richard's passing led to Elizabeth's relationship with Gabriel, and Gabriel saving John's life for the better. Richard had to die for the black community. His death shows that a black man in a white man's society will always be accused and connected to crimes just because of the color of their skin. Blacks in later years would learn to stand up for themselves in be acknowledged as equals. Richard decided to kill himself (by cutting his artery in his wrist) because he felt that society was never going to change. He tried everything he could to stay out of trouble with whites, but trouble found him. He pleaded with the police and the white man who's store was robbed, but all they could do is accuse him as being involved with the crime. Richard was guilty until proven innocent not because he was standing next to the criminals, but because he was a black man in a white man's society.
Richard had to get a non-traditional education; he did not go to school much as a young child. He was passed around between family members during his school age days. So he taught himself, in order to not be put down by the white man. He even vowed to know more than the white man did, and as a result he thought that they could not beat at that point (168). Richard would frighten Elizabeth with his knowledge when they would visit the museums that he knew so much about the paintings but not as much about the African art. This shows that black man in this society was constantly attempting trying to get along and compete with the white man. But they were not trying to get to know their history. The black man was bitter and always trying to fight for equal opportunity with the white man. Although he fought his robbery case and won, he still felt defeated. Despite his thought of education saving him from being beaten by the white man, he was beaten in jail. He thought that his education made him unlike other black men, but the white man thought that “You black bastards, you’re all the same” (173). Richard had to die because he could not bear the fact that he was still looked at the same and he felt beyond defeated against the white man. He decided to take his own life because he felt that he could not advance anymore after his situation. Also he would not be looked at the same by others.
As far as education, Richard was not educated well by schooling, but he managed to learn how to be smarter than the white man by reading and educating himself.He took Elizabeth on dates to educational places such as museums so that she could also educate herself and be better than the white man. Richard gave up on life because he was discouraged and depressed about his situation about his run in with the cops and being in jail and took his own life. This implies that it was very hard for black men in the society. Richard has to die in order for Elizabeth to find Gabriel and for Gabriel to be able to raise John
Richard had an unconventional education so he took it upon himself to be educated so that he couldn't be oppressed by the white man. By spending so much time educating himself on the subjects of the oppressors he failed to educate himself on the subjects of his people. He likes to take Elizabeth to see white art and things of such. Richard somewhat assimilating instead of making himself better than them by knowing his and their history. Black men are conditioned to be less than and have been for centuries by society. Their mental and physical strength has been suffocated by societies rules and ideas of what they should be which is simply a mindless manual worker. Richard had to die because as a black man living in a white man's society this is ultimately what happens. Black men are expected to be imprisoned or to die in a white man's society. Richard decided to commit suicide so that the white men in society could not have that power over him to decide his fate. Also as many others stated Richard had to die in order for Gabriel and Elizabeth to have met.
In New York, Richard went to school at night, which was one of the reasons he was unable to save the money he needed so he and Elizabeth could marry. In the South, he rarely went to school because he was moved from one place to another. He told Elizabeth he knew things because he had decided that he would know everything whites knew and that he was going to know those things better than them. He believed blacks had to be educated to live with whites. So, Richard was basically self-educated. His method of becoming educated implies that the black man’s condition in this society did not include the kind of education available to others. Men like Richard, who wished to lift themselves above their circumstances, would have to result to other means to get the education they desired. Richard took Elizabeth to a number of places on Saturdays. They would go to the movies, see a play, visit friends, and walk through Central Park. But, in keeping with Richard’s desire to become educated he would also take Elizabeth to the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The fact that Elizabeth questioned whether they would be allowed into the museum, when Richard first suggested they go there, is an indication of how blacks felt limited in this society. Elizabeth and Richard were always the only black people at the museum which also implies that although blacks were allowed into the museum, most did not go because it was not a place that they felt comfortable visiting. Elizabeth liked looking at the paintings, but did not understand Richard’s passion for things so long dead. She did, however, see that there was a new life in him when they walked through the halls of the museum. Elizabeth was frightened by this new life because she felt Richard was reaching for the moon and she was afraid he would be dashed against the rocks. Elizabeth knew that the dreams of blacks were difficult to keep and achieve because of the conditions in this society. Her fear for him was realized when he was arrested. Although Richard had given the impression he did not expect a lot from this society, there must have been some hope in him for a more just society because he felt education was the key to living with whites so he made the effort to become educated. However, his arrest must have killed that hope and it was this that led him to make the decision to take his own life. The beatings and indignities he suffered made it impossible for him to continue to live in a society that refused to see him and simply decided he had to be the same as those who shared his skin color. His release from jail did not mean he was free from future persecution in this society so death was his only escape. His death revealed the hopelessness of the black man’s plight in this society. But, what Richard failed to realize was that while his tormentors sought to dehumanize him, they, in turn, lost their humanity and revealed themselves to be less than human through their harsh and cruel treatment of one of God’s creations.
As a child, Richard was not educated by going to school. He was not able to school regularly because he was passed around to different family members. Because he did not go to school much, Richard took his education into his own hands. He started reading books and going to museums to learn. He did not want to be put down by the white men for being ignorant. He vowed to be smarted than the white men. On dates, Richard would take Elizabeth to museums and tell her the history behind the museum. When Richard and Elizabeth moved up north, Richard attended school at night so that he would have enough time during the day to make money to survive and support Elizabeth. Because Richard is a black man in a white society, he was falsely accused of being a part of a robbery because he was near the scene of the crime. Because he was near the scene of the crime, the police arrested him and threw him in jail. Shortly after he was put in jail, he was proven to be innocent and then was released. Richard committed suicide because he did not want the white men to have control over his life and what happens to him. He did not want them to be in charge of his fate. Richard needed to die in order for Elizabeth to meet Gabriel. If Richard did not die, Elizabeth would not have met Gabriel and John would not have been saved. Elizabeth would not have been as devoted to God as she is now that she’s with Gabriel if Richard was still alive.
Richards’s education, where he took Elizabeth on dates and his death is a sign of struggle for black males in that society during that time. All the things that Richard had to do for himself in order to be successful drained him because he had to do it on his own. Since he wasn’t much educated when he was a young boy his goal when he was age was to educate himself so he wouldn’t be a product of his environment. When him and Elizabeth with North he decided to read books and enroll in night school so it would get him closer to his goal. Once Richard started getting more knowledge he was also getting much wiser than he was. By him getting wiser he had so much hate towards white people because of the power they had over African Americans. He felt him and the whites were equal because they knew the same things so he didn’t understand why they thought they were so much better than him. When Richard was taking Elizabeth on these dates he was just putting on a show for the white folks because he wanted to show them that he could do whatever they did. He was not so concern with where she wanted to go but just to show her that he was very educated. Once Richard was put in Jail for a crime he didn’t commit he didn’t have any more fight left in him. They beat him and out him in jail because they thought he was one of the boys that robbed a store. He didn’t fathom the justice system so that was hard for him during that time. He died due to the fact he couldn’t deal with the white folks looking at him as any less when he was just as educated as them. By him taking his own life he left Elizabeth alone with a child that was John. His death also led her to being with Gabriel which caused some problems because he wanted her to regret her child.
Like Gabriel, Richard is another man that lets his pride control his actions. Because he did not want to be thought of as an ignorant and uneducated man, he took it upon himself to become knowledgeable which was difficult because he was not well educated as a child. The death of his mother and the absence of his father played an important role because he was passed between relatives which affected his education. To make up for his lack of education, as an adult, he visited museums and read about many different topics. To emphasize his knowledge, he often took Elizabeth to these museums to show off what he knew. Richard's striving to be the best represents the lack of respect for the black man's condition and society. Richard fights against humiliation and aims to be powerful and dominant in a racist society. He lets himself get vulnerable to criticism which leads to his suicide after he goes to jail. Richard is consumed with his pride and lets racism and hatred control his mental stability. Internally, Richard feels that he is a negative representation of the black community after getting put in jail and treated like garbage rather then as a person. He thought that by educating himself and working hard he could escape the white man's racism, but when a white man states, "You black bastards, you're all the same," Richard became distraught (Baldwin 173). He had to die because he could not handle the fact that, he was look at the same way he was trying to avoid all his life; the white man's comment validated his lack of self worth. Richard cared too much about what others thought of him and thought that he would never be looked at respectfully again which led him to kill himself.
I think that Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death showed that it was a struggle, even up north to be a successful black man. Here Richard was, going to work during the day and working at night. He wanted to marry Elizabeth, but it seemed like it was never achievable. "But since he was going to school at night and made very little money, thier marriage, which she thought of as taking place almost as soon as she arrived, was planned for a future that grew even more remote." (163) He took her on dates to the museums and libraries to show that he was intelligent. He spent his life trying to prove something to the white man. I felt really bad for Richard when he was fasley accused simply because he was not the "normal" black man. Society expected all black men to be the same. He was the black man that was actually trying to do right and start a family. It was just really messed up. Once again he was in jail still trying to prove something to the white man, but this time it was his innocence, and like it was before he went to jail, he wasn't able to fulfill what he wanted. I think that he had to die because it just seemed like all odds were against him. He could never seem to get it right, but Richard didn't see the big picture though. He didn't know Elizabeth was pregnant.
Just like every other black male during this time, Richard had to fight for his respect to be treated normal in society. His way of fighting was to find a way to become more intelligent than the white folks so that they wouldn't look down upon him. Richard, as a young man, would spend most of his time reading books and teaching himself educational things. He would take Elizabeth on a date to museums to show her how intelligent he was and how if he knew all this stuff the white man would treat him right. As the time went on Richard got into some trouble for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and was put into jail. He had to prove his innocence which then got him freed from prison but hard to re enter the society as African American citizen. He felt that he "had to die" for Elizabeth so that she won't have to go through struggles of being with a man who got into some trouble with the law and she have to live a life being judged because of him. Like Richard, men in today's society have to prove themselves in order to get respect.
Being an African American male, Richard did not have many opportunities in the first place. He lost his mother at a young age and , like a " typical" African American father, Richard's dad walked left him. By this being mentioned Richard was not enrolled in school and did not get a proper education. By his father walking out on him at a young age and his lack of an education it put him at a disadvantage. there was no way that he could be an African American man competing against a white society. He had to find something that he could beat them at though. He was extremely street smart and educated in the arts. When the Richard brought Elizabeth on dates, he would bring her to museums and would educate her on the pieces. Later on in his life he created a system where he would work during the day and go to school at night. The night that Richard got arrested he did not stand a chance. He was a black male that was somewhere at the wrong time and black skin meant trouble to white society. Because he looked like the other boys he was thrown in jail as well. Richard did all that he could do to stay out of site from whites. He was involved because of his skin color and not because of his actions. He committed suicide to make a point about the struggle of a black man in a white world. Surprisingly his death made his unknown sons life better. By taking his own life he made it possible for Elizabeth to meet Gabriel who was able to take her under his wing and support the two of them.
I agree with your post until you said that Richard dying made John's life better. I think Richard would have been a good father to John and loved him with all his heart, nlike Gabriel who does not love John and only takes care of him because that is his wife's child.
Richard was overall very intelligent based on his circumstances. He didn't attend school as a young boy but how the same knowledge as the white man. He wanted to learn what they knew and know it even better! So he went to libraries and museums to learn everything he needed to know. I also think Richard took Elizabeth on dates to museums to show her how smart he was, and to show her that he knew just as much as the white man. Richard took his own life in killing himself by cutting his artery in his wrist because he felt like society was never going to change. Throughout his whole life he tried everything he could to stay out of trouble with whites, but that was hard to do. After pleading to the police about a robbery he was accused of, Richard's life was based off the fact that he was a black African American man. He was involved with the crime because of his skin color and nothing more.Richard physical and mental challenge came when he was beaten, held in prison, and charged with robbing the store with the three black boys.So him committing suicide was his own way of expressing his struggle in white america.
Richard was a self-taught individual, driven by the determination to be an equal to the White men he disdained. In this set time period, it was taboo for an African American to pursue any sort of education. Richard is disadvantaged for two reasons. Firstly, by reading and learning whatever is available to him when it is accessible, he is committing a "sin" against the White society. Secondly, Richard is shown to often express his disbelief in God and illustrates a blatant disrespect for God through his sarcasm and creation of a child out of wedlock. For these sins, Richard must die in order to restore a sense of balance to society. His decision to commit suicide was his way of dealing with his failure to never give a White person the satisfaction of making him feel like "dirt" (Baldwin 168).
Richard was a very intelligent African-American man. From reading the section about Richard it reveals a lot about the society the characters lived in. He took Elizabeth on a dates like to the museum so both of them could learn new things. Richard died as a result o him not wanting to conform to the way the society was governed. He was falsely accused and severely punished because of a crime that he did not commit. Richard's death proved that no matter how educated a back man was they still would not be successful as a white man. Richard had to die because he is not fit for the society that he lived in. Richard was a type of person that would not accept the white man's rule. He could not face the rest of his life living the way the white men wanted him to live.
Richard's life showed that being a black man in society is going to be hard and no matter how educated or honest you are people will still see you only skin deep. Richard's upbringing may have been tough because he really didn't have a family. But the struggles he went through made him a more independent person who was capable of obtaining an education and is those days that was not easy for a black man to do. Richard beat society stereotypes which is why he had to die because he did not function like all the other black men living in the white society. Richard's death proved that it is hard for a black man to get at top and be successful because the white man will always bring him down. I also feel that after Richard's experience in jail he could not live in a society that basically tortured black men and decided that day that the one thing white people could not take was he life because he was going to take it himself.
Richard was never formally educated due to his circumstances as a child. He never stayed anywhere long and no one seemed to care much about him. He however always wanted to do much more and be educated so he did it for himself. To say that Richard never really attended school, he educated himself very well. He paired respect with knowledge and figured that if he knew everything that the white man knew then they would have to respect him. When he took Elizabeth out on dates, he would always take her to museum to teach her new things and show her how smart he was. Everything changed when he got arrested for allegedly robbing some white man's store. While Richard was locked up, he was mentally and psychically destroyed. He knew that even though he got off, he would never be able to gain any sort of respect again now that he was in "bad standings" with the police. Society would treat him just like any other black man and no amount of education or knowledge would ever change that. So he committed suicide to escape the world that would never judge him by his content but simple by his skin complexion.
Richard’s education was not the best education a person could receive because he did not attend school. His education was self-taught and he learned by using his common sense. Although he was not very book-smart, Richard knew that in order to attempt to live in a “white man’s world” he would have to know many of the things they know. As for the dates he took Elizabeth on, Richard liked to take her to art museums and such. This showed that he was enamored with the same cultural aspects that the white men were. It gave him a sense of equality since he took part in hobbies that the white men took part of. I think Richard felt that he had to die because he came to the realization that the white man categorized him with every other black man, whether good or bad. When he was arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Richard saw all of his attempts to become equal to white men go out the window. He gave up on life because he knew that during his time period he would never get the recognition he deserved for being different than every other black man.
Richard Elisabeth’s ex-boyfriend was a very intelligent man, who learned a lot of things over the years. The knowledge that he gained was not learned in the most common way, like others because he had to teach himself. Richard was faced with a lot of obstacles being that he was living in a day and age where African Americans were not permitted to a lot of things. Richard seen this as the white man was always looking down upon him, but he had to prove them wrong so he constantly improved himself for the better. Richard took Elisabeth out to a museum when they first started dating to show her his educated side. Since Richard was always trying to better himself or show others that he was capable, it makes me wonder what were the cause of this mindset. After Richard was falsely put into jail because he was thought to be someone else he was soon released. After Richard got out he realized that even though he strived for the best it would never be the best so he then killed himself.
Richard's behavior reveals the constant struggle it was for black men to succeed. Richard didn't finish school and wasn't that educated as a kid, but he grew up to teach himself the necessary needs of how to survive. Richard felt that if he educated himself enough that he wouldn't be considered under the "the white man". He was always searching for something different out of life. When Richard went to jail it changed him. He gave up and he didn't want to live life anymore. He felt like he was nothing and their was no point of his existence anymore.
Growing up, Richard was not able to attend school because he often spent his child hood floating from one family member to the next. But he did not let the lack of being able to physically go to school keep him from becoming intelligent and learning what he wanted and needed to know in order to further his education. He did not want the white men to look down on him or think he was ignorant. So not only did he learn what the white men knew, but he learned it and understood it better than they did. Richard learned and thought himself everything he could by reading books and literature. Richard was basically self-educated. His method of becoming educated implies that the black man’s condition in this society were not equivalent to that of the white people at that point in history. Richard often liked to take Elizabeth to the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I feel like his arrest must have killed that hope and aspirations he had and it was what led him to make the decision to take his own life. He felt as if death was his only escape from further punishment and persecution.
Richard is quite a smart and clever man. It's hinted that Richard wants to be educated like white people, but Elizabeth feels sorry for him because he is aiming too far. He wants to be smart and intelligent so no whites will look down on him. Richard also takes Elizabeth out on dates in parks. He takes Elizabeth out on dates to a museum where he admires the African arts (167). This shows that he is quite knowledgeable in the field of African Arts. The places that they go to are simple public locations. They didn't go anywhere fancy most likely due to racism. Richard passed away when John was only 6 months old. I think the purpose for Richard's death is to develop Elizabeth's character further. Elizabeth becomes afraid of people after Richard's death. She does not seek to make any new friends (178). His death also shows how black men are treated in society during that time. Although Richard did nothing wrong, the police accused him of the crime. Richard knew that the police see all colored people the same. He chose to cut off his own life because he would rather be the person to take care of him rather than some whites.
Richard’s education, his dates with Elizabeth and his death could only possibly connect to one thing during those situations, which is the hardship black men had to go through and endure in a white society. It was a very struggling and stressful life; he did not attend school so he had to self-educate himself because he thought that education is very important in his life. He read a lot of books and went to museums in order to get knowledge on various things and he wanted to prove to the white people that he could do the same things they could do just as good as them. He was very big on education as he thought it his savior against white people as he wanted to stop being mistreated but his life was still miserable with them. He was never acknowledged by them which defy the purpose of him going for education so much. He took Elizabeth on dates to museums usually to show her the knowledge as he has as well as teach her knowledge in order to have something in the society she lives in. After he was caught with three black boys that robbed a white man’s store and stood next to him when the police came to picked them up. He was mistakenly taken into custody and after few days, was proven innocent so was let out of jail. This was kind of a test to his will in life, which proved him to be weak willed as he killed himself soon after he got out without a second thought of his upcoming son John and his beloved wife Elizabeth. I believe the reason that he had to die is because he was not acknowledged by white people already, and Richard entering jail would even make him look worse in the white people’s eyes. So he felt obligated to death since his chances now were close to nothing.
Richard was Elizabeth’s first husband and the love of her life. Richard was a wise and intelligent men and strived for the bettering of his life. Although Richard didn’t attend school as a young boy he was smart because of his longing to be equivalent to the white man making him wanting to be educated so he could be just as equal. Richard would take Elizabeth to museums on their dates and try to enlighten her as well. Richard loved knowledge and wanted to learn about things just as the white men and women did. Elizabeth loved Richard so much and lived her life for him. Richard was falsely convicted when some white men robbed a store and Richard was there and he was taken to jail and later let go because he was found not guilty and after that point he became depressed and began to shut himself of from the world. Elizabeth’s love for him couldn’t even save him. Richard who was once so driven and ambitious about education and making himself better to fit in society with the whites now was not whom who ultimately wanted to be. When Richard died Elizabeth didn’t know what do and her having John didn’t make things any better. When Elizabeth met Gabriel is was as if he was her savior and gave her and John a better life and as well a father for John. She had lived her life so much for Richard that she wasn’t really religious at least not in the way Gabriel. She lived for Richard and now she was to live for Gabriel and God. I Feel as if, if Richard would have never died then she would have never met Gabriel. She truly loved Richard and would have done anything for him.
Richard was very different and somewhat my favorite because he never gave up. Richard enjoyed taking Elizabeth on different dates because he wanted the best for his self and for Elizabeth to become wiser than the next white man. Although he did not go to school because of his life style, he did not let that determine his future and goals in life. Elizabeth and Richard enjoyed each others company so much that when he got arrested and sent into jail he sacrificed his own life sos he can live better for another man (Gabriel) and God. Richard knew he showed her a lot in life that she would be able to handle herself in any type of situation that comes her way or if not she would be smart enough to think of way to get out of it. Richard was a good man.
Think about Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death. What do all these things imply about the black man's condition in this society? Why does Richard "have to" die? Why does he make the decision that he makes?
Richard's education, the proper dates he took little bit on, the goodness in his heart, his intelligence, it seems as if it didn't matter. His situation implies no matter how smart you are or how much better you are than the white man, the black man never wins. After his moment in jail, he cried so hard because out of all the intelligence in his heart, he still managed to get defeated. He felt like he lost and that's sad because he had Elizabeth, but him feeling defeated, i guess, just crushed him into pieces; he couldn't handle that. He was so used of staying on top and he educated himself in every way to be better. After the jail moment though, he felt like damn, all that and I still fell. That led him to commit suicide and that's the saddest moment in the book to me.
Richard was Elizabeth's first husband and father of John. Elizabeth loved him with all her heart and lived her life for him. Richard was falsely convicted and sent to jail only to be released later on. The novel spoke of Richard as being wise and intelligent even though his circumstances. Richard repeatedly skipped school due to his living circumstances. He wasn't able to learn anything from school, but he became, "street smart." He taught himself so he could be just as smart or smarter than the whites. He vowed," ...One day that I was going to get to know everything them white bastards knew, and I was going to get to know it better than them..." (Baldwin 168). He repeatedly went to libraries and museums, so he could grow his mind, and gain a vast knowledge on a variety of topics. This could be one of the reasons why on his first date with Elizabeth he took her to the museum, so he could show off his knowledge. I truly believe that Richard could have been a better father than Gabriel because Richard could have given John the love and respect that he deserves unlike Gabriel who blames everything on him.
Richard was a well self-educated man who wanted better in life. He obtained knowledge by going to libraries and museums. He saw education as a form of equality, respect. He felt that maybe if he was equally, if not smarter than the white men, then maybe life would be more pleasurable for him. When he and Elizabeth would go on dates to the museum, he would amaze her by all the knowledge he had obtained. He was sent to jail for a crime he hadn't commited and there he was beaten. In jail is where I personally feel like Richard gave up on life. He had not done anything wrong yet he was still treated unfairly because he was black.
To me Richard was a very educated person who knew a lot about life but just wanted a better life for his family but was denied it because he was black man living in very racist times. I don't think Richard needed to die because if you think about yes times were difficult and racism was alive and well but it wasn't that bad. Think about the poor slaves who had no kind of rights at all. Richard had rights to do somethings and better cooperation with the white people since he was in the north.I think that Richard was being cowardly for committing suicide because he didn't want to face the world. He should have maned up and face all of the oppression and challenges head on instead of trying get rid of his problems.
Richard was a very smart man who had plenty of common sense and street smarts. Richard did not have the best education in the world, but he made an effort to teach himself the many wonders of the world and life. He was a self taught educated black man, he learned so he could overcome adversity because black men were not depicted as intelligent in his society. He would take Elizabeth on dates educational dates so she can gain a lot of knowledge and insightful information. These things imply that black men are not seen as being intellectual in society. It is saying that we must educate ourselves to thrive in society because if we do not we will never come out on top. Richard has to die because that if we was falsely accused of robbery because he was a black man than life is not worth living. He was a smart and peaceful black man not a typical black criminal. Because society only sees him for the color of his skin he did not want to live in it. He should have not committed suicide because black people have to learn to overcome all obstacles not matter what the circumstance is.
Yes, I totally agree. I'm glad that he took a stand for himself and wanted to learn to prove that as a black man, he too can be educated. He also allowed Elizabeth to be apart of his growth and educational side by bringing her to places so they can learn together.
I think that Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death showed that it was a struggle, even up north for a black man. Richard was, going to work during the day and school at night to make a better life for Elizabeth and himself. He wanted to marry Elizabeth but everyday it seem like he wouldn't be able to do it. “Since he was going to school at night and made very little money, their marriage, which she thought of as taking place almost as soon as she arrived, was planned for a future that grew even more remote." (163). He would take Elizabeth to museums and libraries on dates which showed that he was an intelligent man. He was trying to prove the white man wrong by getting an education and starting a family. It was horrible how Richard was accused falsely because he wasn't a “normal” black man. Some whites in the north still believed that all black men were beneath them and could not succeed, "You black bastards, you're all the same" (137). This time he was in jail trying to prove his innocence to the white man. The thought of others looking at him with disgust led him to kill himself. He cared to much of what others would think of him.
Richard is described as a good, smart, and well-rounded man. He never grew up going to school and learning. He learned at a young age that he should learn even if he wasn’t given the opportunity. Richard believed he should at least know what the “white” men knew or more. Elizabeth truly describes him as the perfect gentleman. Richard would take her to museums where he could show her a new world that she’s never seen before. This all changes when Richard is accused of a crime he never committed. He is sent to jail. When he is finally proven innocent, Elizabeth explains that it was too late, because jail truly changed him to the point where he committed suicide. In my opinion, Richard tried his whole life to show the white men what he was capable of, however, once in jail he realized it was impossible. Upon leaving jail, I believe Richard lost all hope. If Richard’s fate were different, Elizabeth would not have met Gabriel. Without meeting Gabriel, John’s life would have completely different as he would not have been “saved.”
Richard was a very smart African American man to say he grew up in the early 1900s, however he did not acquire this knowledge by attending school. Richard wanted to make sure that he was smarter than any white man. He wanted to know what they knew but, have more intellect than them. Also, he lost his mother when he was young, with that being said another hardship he had was when his father walked out of his life. He was love for Elizabeth was like no other than any man’s love for his wife. They went on dates to the library and the museum. While on their dates Richard showed Elizabeth the amount of knowledge he knew and she was amazed. This made her very happy. One night while waiting at the train station a group of young black boys ran by him who were being chased by the police. The police arrested all of them because they thought Richard was an accomplice to the boys robbing a store. After spending a few days in jail Richard had a court date and was found not guilty, he was then released from jail. Richard decided that it was time for his life to come to an end and committed suicide do to the fact that white folks looked at him as unequal to them even though he was on the same caliber of education as them, but they saw differently do to him being black.
I felt sorry for Richard. As a result of the circumstances he grew up in the South, he was not fairly educated. He experienced moving from home to home so his childhood was very unstable, not allowing him to go to school. Yet, he uses this as motivation to get an education and to be smarter than the very people that talk down upon him. He saw an education as hope. He took Elizabeth out on nice dates and took trips to the museum and such. One could tell that he was fascinated at the thought of living the comfortable upscale life that many blacks in that time period didn’t experience. However, tragedy struck and he was beaten and accused of robbing a store when he actually didn’t. As a result, he lost all hope and once he realized that there was the big possibility that he wouldn’t fulfill his dream, there was no point in living anymore. He didn’t have a strong affiliation with faith and religion either, which is probably a strong reason as to why he easily fell into life’s trials and tribulations instead of fighting and looking forward. Richard is a prime example of what black men expected in life around that time. Working so hard only to be cut down by the white man, which is a pretty sad thought.
Richard shows the true struggle for the African American male of that time and even of this age. He did not acquire to much schooling when he was young but he did when he was older by going to night school. Richard struggled along his path and tried to treat Elizabeth the way a lady should be treated. He shines light to every male that reads the novel to show that you can make it when society says you can't.
Richard was not an educated man in a true “book smart” sense. He was more of a worldly and open-minded man; he was a freethinker. Since he was passed around between so many families as a child, Richard did not go to school as much as a young child should. But instead of him being put down even further for being a black man in America, Richard decided to teach himself. Eventually, Richard did begin to go to night school. He did not go to school during the day because he needed to work so he could have money. He learned about history by visiting museums. When Richard took Elizabeth out on dates he would take her to museums. When he did that he was trying to prove how educated in history he truly was. From the start of his life Richard was not meant to succeed, like a typical black man in a white man’s society. It is very stereotypical when a black man is seen at the scene of a crime to just assume that he committed the crime. That is what happened to Richard and he was unlawfully thrown into jail for that. That experience changed him; it scarred him for life. He killed himself but cutting his wrist because he knew that a change would never come. A black man in a white man’s society was not a good thing. The black man was already set up to fail from birth. I believe Richard had to die because the world was not a place for him to be. He had to die so that Elizabeth could only get stronger. He had to die to make room for Gabriel. He had to die so that John would have a better chance in life. No matter how hard Richard pleaded and tried to be better than the white man, it would never have a good outcome because a black man in a white man’s society is the same as the rest, destined to fail. Olivia Sherman: Week 10
Richard's education and taking Elizabeth on dates symbolizes the constant struggle the black man who wanted to advance in society faced. Richard found himself in a conflict in sticking to the traditions black men were taught in terms of courting a young woman, however the way in which Richard does so is unique. Richard wants to expose Elizabeth to what he finds important in life which is education, so he takes her on dates that combine the two. This shows that as a black man in this time period, it was mandatory to always try to find a balance in life in order to be successful. Richard leaned more towards the side of black men advancing in life in terms of education, which is why he had to die. In this time, whites gave the opportunity to blacks in the north to advance in their life, however many saw a black educated man as a threat and still do today. Richard was caught in a time where he was willing to take on more of a responsibility in society through his education, though not all of his community was. During this time period, and today, in certain areas black men are all seen as the same and being in the wrong place at the wrong time could cause an innocent black man to suffer with the worst of them. When Richard was in jail it was a traumatic experience in which his mind was damaged. Richard felt it was necessary to take his own life for his mind is what he took the most pride and purpose in and if it was damaged he felt he had lost a part of himself. I think this traumatic event also showed Richard that though he was ready to advance in life, society was not ready for this and I do not think Richard was willing to let a part of himself go to satisfy society. He would rather die. This death also has contributed to the person John is for if Richard did not die, than John would not have been exposed to God, only education.
Richard was a self-educated black man who was persecuted because of his skin color. He took Elizabeth on dates where she could learn as much as possible to better her future. These things indicate that black men had no real place in society then. He was blamed for a robbery that he did not commit, so Richard ended up in jail. After getting out he went through depression and eventually killed himself.
Richards dates with Elizabeth and his educations symbolizes the things that a typical African American male went through. HE wasn't fairly as educated as a caucasian male and his dates with Elizabeth showed that he tried to please her and also trying to teach himself things. HE felt that there wasn't a point in living when he was accused of the robbery which he did not even commit, so after he got released from jail he was depressed and committed suicide.
Richard didn’t receive and education when he was a child, but once he grew up he was determined to be as smart as the white man. Although Richard didn’t attend institute for education, he taught himself. He would take Elizabeth on dates to museums so he was able to learn new things. He was determined to not be the “usual” African American male in their society. In their society an African American is looked down upon and seen as worthless. African Americans weren’t able to get an education because the white man wouldn’t allow it. In the society Richard lived in, he “had to die” because there were no opportunities with him living. The reasons behind Richard’s death also show the level that African Americans were put. He went to jail based off a stereotype which is that all Africans Americans look alike. No matter how many times Richard would have said he was innocent, they still wouldn’t believe him. Richard committed suicide based of the torture he was put through because he was an African American. Society killed him.
The society in which Richard resided in was a society that did not allow the African American male to better himself or have a proper education. Richard was a self-taught man; he taught himself by reading books and opening his mind. He not only tried to better himself, he also had Elizabeth in mind. He would take her on dates to museums and things of that sort and this only opened his mind to more information and Elizabeth's as well. When Richard was taken to jail it did something to his mind. I believe that Richard discovered that there was nothing he could do in this society to better himself if they would not accept him for it in the end. He may have felt that his mind was trapped in the views of society and the only way to free himself was death.
Think about Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death. What do all these things imply about the black man's condition in this society? Why does Richard "have to" die? Why does he make the decision that he makes? During this time, black people in general were the lowest in society. Blacks, like the characters in the story, try to make a better living for themselves in a society where they are viewed as unless, uneducated people. Richard's yearn for a better education was his way of fighting back. Fighting fire with fire. He thought that being educated would change the way ge was treated by the ruling white man. Unfortunately, that will never be the case. In my opinion, that is why Richard "had to die". If education, or even being innocent in the eyes of the most powerful people was not going to change the way they see him, then there is no point of trying. In other words, Richard gave up. He does not know about John, in fact, his whole life he has been fighting to live. He has been in and out of adoption and working just to makes ends meet. I bet Richard tried to live for something better and worth it but realized that a black man in that type of society will never succeed.
Richard never received a formal education therefore he decided to educate himself by reading book and attending night school. Richard was well aware of how the white society viewed blacks especially black males. Richard decided to educate himself because he did not want to be looked down upon and he thought the whites would respect him more because he was educated. When Richard and Elizabeth went on dates they went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History because he was so passionate about education and he wanted to share that passion with Elizabeth. Richard became a victim of racism when he was arrested for a crime he did not commit. This arrest took a toll on him because he was innocent and he already knew the hardships black men in society had but now he was a black man with a criminal record. This is why he kills himself; he feels that his education and the fight to be treated equally in the white world were over. Richard had lost all hope in himself. If Richard did not die Elizabeth would have never met Gabriel and John would have never been saved.
The black man condition in society was to be kept ignorant and by doing that then they would not know what they were missing. In Richards case he educated himself and by doing this he was not taught "white" ideas to keep him down and his education gave him the ability to see oppression that still lived and he hated the way that white people looked at him. He took Elizabeth on dates to Museum in order to educate her and also to show her that black people could do what white people could do.
As a black man, who didnt attend school due to his living situation, Richard was a very intelligent man. He amde sure he learned what he had to, whether someone told him to or not. He would go to libraries, museums and he would read books to make sure he knew as much information as the white man knew. Richard waned to be successful in life, but he undertood that his lack of education, and the color of his skin would not allow him to be in his lifetime. Education was very important to Richard, thats why on dates he would take Elizabeth to the museums as well. He wanted to Elizabeth to gain some knowledge as well. Richard went into a "depression", later in life because he was falsey accused of robbing a store, but however he was released later and found not guilty. i do belive he probably thought life had nothing to offer him. Maybe he thought he couldnt make it in this world, because of all of his, what he think is flaws.Maybe if Richard had never died, john would not have been saved, because elizabeth would have probally not been so devoted to a relationship with god, because he and Richard was living a life of sin. Of corse f Richard would have not died, Her and Gabriel would have not met.
Richard educated himself by reading. He would take Elizabeth on dates to places where he can learn something new and gain more knowledge. Richard wanted to learn as much as he could so he could keep up with the white men. He was already seen as less than the white men because he was black. If Richard wouldn't have died, Elizabeth wouldn't have had the chance to meet Gabriel.
Richard didn't have an education like others because he wasn't privileged. However, he took every opportunity that he could to learn. For example, on dates with Elizabeth, he would take her to museums. This shows his interest in history, art, and education. Richard committed suicide after being thrown in jail for a crime that he did not commit. Being thrown in jail without any evidence other than the fact of his skin color shows that society was in favorable of the whites rather than the blacks. Richard has to die because it becomes the reason for Gabriel and Elizabeth to meet and John being saved. Without Gabriel, both Elizabeth and John would not have been down the religious path that they are in. His death takes the plot down a different path.
i think that this implies that the black man's circumstances were based on his own actions. Richard said that he knows so much because he doesn't want white men looking at him like dirt. this shows that black men had to change their own circumstances, no one was going to hand it to. Just praying to the Lord, without any action, was not going to get you anywhere. However, it also showed that no matter how much a black man knew, it was very hard to change his circumstances. Richard went to school but still had a low paying job. Richard has to die, according to Elizabeth, because of her lack of devotion to God. because she put Richard before him so he took Richard away from her. Richard makes the decision he makes because prison changes him, the ambition and drive he had before prison was gone and he felt like his circumstances would never change no matter how educated he was, he was still black and being black he felt would get you no where
Richard was a very intelligent due o his circumstances. He was not intelligent because he attended and did well in school, he didn't even attend school due to his living situation as a young boy, but he did make sure he learned what the white man knew. He wanted to learn what they knew and learn it better than them. He went to libraries and museums to learn.He read books Richard learned everything he could on his own.On dates he would take Elizabeth to museums so she could get educated also. Richard was big on education even though he didn't attend school. He wanted to be somebody, but lack of education was holding him back from doing so and also the fact that he is a black man in a white man's society. Richard was in jail for a little while because a couple boys robbed a white man's store and they stood by him and the police took everyone. Not long after being detained in the cell he was found not guilty and released. When he was released Richard went into some sort of depression I am not sure why. Maybe he gave up on life and felt like he will never go anywhere in life due to the hand he was dealt. If Richard would have never died Elizabeth and Gabriel would have never gotten together and John most likely would have not been saved because Elizabeth was not devoting her life to God she devoted it to Richard and Richard was living in sin.
ReplyDeleteRichard was a very intelligent person due to his circumstances as a black man in a white man's society. It is quite interesting to see how Richard wanted to learn what white people knew because he felt that if he taught himself to be better than them than he can last in this society. At the end of the blog it's great that you stated that Richard had to die for Elizabeth to end up with Gabriel. If Richard would have never died than Gabriel would have never been a father to John. Overall this was a very decent and straight forward blog because to me it hit on most of the points of what's being asked from the blog.
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ReplyDeleteRichards’s education, his dates with Elizabeth, and his death all implies that it was a constant struggle for black men at this time in society. It was a struggle socially, physically, and mentally. Richard choose to educate himself. He was barely educated as a child so when he became a young man he always read book and when him and Elizabeth came north he even began going to school at night. Richard became very intelligent, but also bitter. He had so much hate in him. He wanted to prove to white people, who looked down upon him, that he was just as smart as them. Richard equated education to respect. He thought that if he knew everything they (whites) they wouldn’t talk down to him and treat him like dirt. However, he was still treated badly. I think Richard took Elizabeth on dates to museums and things to show her how much knowledge he had acquired but also to show her that they could do what the white folks were doing.
Richard physical and mental challenge came when he was beaten, held in prison, and charged with robbing the store with the three black boys. Although he didn’t do it and got out of jail he felt ruined. Richard had been working hard to build a name and a reputation for himself. But it was all tainted when he went to jail. He was just like all the other black men. He knew he would never he seen in a “positive” light again, especially since he had a case with the police. And that’s why he felt he had to die.
I find it very interesting that would say he had to die because of how he would never be seen as a positive citizen again. I know during their times it was much harder for a black African American male to succeed because of their color and background, and by getting in law trouble, that would only make the situation worse. I like the fact that you added those key points in your blog. I felt if he would have given it more time he eventually would have been giving a little more respect as a black man, but if he wouldn't have died Elizabeth would have never found Gabriel.
DeleteI like the fact that you said that he would basically not be looked at as the person he was before he went to jail and so he felt as if he didn't have a reason on why he should even be living.
DeleteRichard was not well educated in the sense of going to school, but he was educated liberally. He enjoyed going to museums to learn about history. On dates Richard would take Elizabeth to museums to show her how educated he was museums history. Richard did not go to school when he was young because his mom died and his dad walked out on his life, so there was no one to guide him and help him go to school. All of the things that happened to Richard implies that a black man's condition in a white society is that he'll never make it.A black man will never become successful and well educated because white people refused to let the Black Family have great economical benefits as they do. Richard went to school at night because he needed to make enough money during the day. A black man in this society and even in today's society gets discriminated against whenever they are around a crime. Just because Richard was found on the scene of the crime the police arrested him and threw him in jail. Richard had to die for he sake of John. Richard's passing led to Elizabeth's relationship with Gabriel, and Gabriel saving John's life for the better. Richard had to die for the black community. His death shows that a black man in a white man's society will always be accused and connected to crimes just because of the color of their skin. Blacks in later years would learn to stand up for themselves in be acknowledged as equals. Richard decided to kill himself (by cutting his artery in his wrist) because he felt that society was never going to change. He tried everything he could to stay out of trouble with whites, but trouble found him. He pleaded with the police and the white man who's store was robbed, but all they could do is accuse him as being involved with the crime. Richard was guilty until proven innocent not because he was standing next to the criminals, but because he was a black man in a white man's society.
ReplyDeleteRichard had to get a non-traditional education; he did not go to school much as a young child. He was passed around between family members during his school age days. So he taught himself, in order to not be put down by the white man. He even vowed to know more than the white man did, and as a result he thought that they could not beat at that point (168). Richard would frighten Elizabeth with his knowledge when they would visit the museums that he knew so much about the paintings but not as much about the African art. This shows that black man in this society was constantly attempting trying to get along and compete with the white man. But they were not trying to get to know their history. The black man was bitter and always trying to fight for equal opportunity with the white man. Although he fought his robbery case and won, he still felt defeated. Despite his thought of education saving him from being beaten by the white man, he was beaten in jail. He thought that his education made him unlike other black men, but the white man thought that “You black bastards, you’re all the same” (173). Richard had to die because he could not bear the fact that he was still looked at the same and he felt beyond defeated against the white man. He decided to take his own life because he felt that he could not advance anymore after his situation. Also he would not be looked at the same by others.
ReplyDeleteAs far as education, Richard was not educated well by schooling, but he managed to learn how to be smarter than the white man by reading and educating himself.He took Elizabeth on dates to educational places such as museums so that she could also educate herself and be better than the white man. Richard gave up on life because he was discouraged and depressed about his situation about his run in with the cops and being in jail and took his own life. This implies that it was very hard for black men in the society. Richard has to die in order for Elizabeth to find Gabriel and for Gabriel to be able to raise John
ReplyDeleteRichard had an unconventional education so he took it upon himself to be educated so that he couldn't be oppressed by the white man. By spending so much time educating himself on the subjects of the oppressors he failed to educate himself on the subjects of his people. He likes to take Elizabeth to see white art and things of such. Richard somewhat assimilating instead of making himself better than them by knowing his and their history. Black men are conditioned to be less than and have been for centuries by society. Their mental and physical strength has been suffocated by societies rules and ideas of what they should be which is simply a mindless manual worker. Richard had to die because as a black man living in a white man's society this is ultimately what happens. Black men are expected to be imprisoned or to die in a white man's society. Richard decided to commit suicide so that the white men in society could not have that power over him to decide his fate. Also as many others stated Richard had to die in order for Gabriel and Elizabeth to have met.
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ReplyDeleteIn New York, Richard went to school at night, which was one of the reasons he was unable to save the money he needed so he and Elizabeth could marry. In the South, he rarely went to school because he was moved from one place to another. He told Elizabeth he knew things because he had decided that he would know everything whites knew and that he was going to know those things better than them. He believed blacks had to be educated to live with whites. So, Richard was basically self-educated. His method of becoming educated implies that the black man’s condition in this society did not include the kind of education available to others. Men like Richard, who wished to lift themselves above their circumstances, would have to result to other means to get the education they desired. Richard took Elizabeth to a number of places on Saturdays. They would go to the movies, see a play, visit friends, and walk through Central Park. But, in keeping with Richard’s desire to become educated he would also take Elizabeth to the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The fact that Elizabeth questioned whether they would be allowed into the museum, when Richard first suggested they go there, is an indication of how blacks felt limited in this society. Elizabeth and Richard were always the only black people at the museum which also implies that although blacks were allowed into the museum, most did not go because it was not a place that they felt comfortable visiting. Elizabeth liked looking at the paintings, but did not understand Richard’s passion for things so long dead. She did, however, see that there was a new life in him when they walked through the halls of the museum. Elizabeth was frightened by this new life because she felt Richard was reaching for the moon and she was afraid he would be dashed against the rocks. Elizabeth knew that the dreams of blacks were difficult to keep and achieve because of the conditions in this society. Her fear for him was realized when he was arrested. Although Richard had given the impression he did not expect a lot from this society, there must have been some hope in him for a more just society because he felt education was the key to living with whites so he made the effort to become educated. However, his arrest must have killed that hope and it was this that led him to make the decision to take his own life. The beatings and indignities he suffered made it impossible for him to continue to live in a society that refused to see him and simply decided he had to be the same as those who shared his skin color. His release from jail did not mean he was free from future persecution in this society so death was his only escape. His death revealed the hopelessness of the black man’s plight in this society. But, what Richard failed to realize was that while his tormentors sought to dehumanize him, they, in turn, lost their humanity and revealed themselves to be less than human through their harsh and cruel treatment of one of God’s creations.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, Richard was not educated by going to school. He was not able to school regularly because he was passed around to different family members. Because he did not go to school much, Richard took his education into his own hands. He started reading books and going to museums to learn. He did not want to be put down by the white men for being ignorant. He vowed to be smarted than the white men. On dates, Richard would take Elizabeth to museums and tell her the history behind the museum. When Richard and Elizabeth moved up north, Richard attended school at night so that he would have enough time during the day to make money to survive and support Elizabeth. Because Richard is a black man in a white society, he was falsely accused of being a part of a robbery because he was near the scene of the crime. Because he was near the scene of the crime, the police arrested him and threw him in jail. Shortly after he was put in jail, he was proven to be innocent and then was released. Richard committed suicide because he did not want the white men to have control over his life and what happens to him. He did not want them to be in charge of his fate. Richard needed to die in order for Elizabeth to meet Gabriel. If Richard did not die, Elizabeth would not have met Gabriel and John would not have been saved. Elizabeth would not have been as devoted to God as she is now that she’s with Gabriel if Richard was still alive.
ReplyDeleteRichards’s education, where he took Elizabeth on dates and his death is a sign of struggle for black males in that society during that time. All the things that Richard had to do for himself in order to be successful drained him because he had to do it on his own. Since he wasn’t much educated when he was a young boy his goal when he was age was to educate himself so he wouldn’t be a product of his environment. When him and Elizabeth with North he decided to read books and enroll in night school so it would get him closer to his goal. Once Richard started getting more knowledge he was also getting much wiser than he was. By him getting wiser he had so much hate towards white people because of the power they had over African Americans. He felt him and the whites were equal because they knew the same things so he didn’t understand why they thought they were so much better than him. When Richard was taking Elizabeth on these dates he was just putting on a show for the white folks because he wanted to show them that he could do whatever they did. He was not so concern with where she wanted to go but just to show her that he was very educated. Once Richard was put in Jail for a crime he didn’t commit he didn’t have any more fight left in him. They beat him and out him in jail because they thought he was one of the boys that robbed a store. He didn’t fathom the justice system so that was hard for him during that time. He died due to the fact he couldn’t deal with the white folks looking at him as any less when he was just as educated as them. By him taking his own life he left Elizabeth alone with a child that was John. His death also led her to being with Gabriel which caused some problems because he wanted her to regret her child.
ReplyDeleteLike Gabriel, Richard is another man that lets his pride control his actions. Because he did not want to be thought of as an ignorant and uneducated man, he took it upon himself to become knowledgeable which was difficult because he was not well educated as a child. The death of his mother and the absence of his father played an important role because he was passed between relatives which affected his education. To make up for his lack of education, as an adult, he visited museums and read about many different topics. To emphasize his knowledge, he often took Elizabeth to these museums to show off what he knew. Richard's striving to be the best represents the lack of respect for the black man's condition and society. Richard fights against humiliation and aims to be powerful and dominant in a racist society. He lets himself get vulnerable to criticism which leads to his suicide after he goes to jail. Richard is consumed with his pride and lets racism and hatred control his mental stability. Internally, Richard feels that he is a negative representation of the black community after getting put in jail and treated like garbage rather then as a person. He thought that by educating himself and working hard he could escape the white man's racism, but when a white man states, "You black bastards, you're all the same," Richard became distraught (Baldwin 173). He had to die because he could not handle the fact that, he was look at the same way he was trying to avoid all his life; the white man's comment validated his lack of self worth. Richard cared too much about what others thought of him and thought that he would never be looked at respectfully again which led him to kill himself.
ReplyDeleteI think that Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death showed that it was a struggle, even up north to be a successful black man. Here Richard was, going to work during the day and working at night. He wanted to marry Elizabeth, but it seemed like it was never achievable. "But since he was going to school at night and made very little money, thier marriage, which she thought of as taking place almost as soon as she arrived, was planned for a future that grew even more remote." (163) He took her on dates to the museums and libraries to show that he was intelligent. He spent his life trying to prove something to the white man. I felt really bad for Richard when he was fasley accused simply because he was not the "normal" black man. Society expected all black men to be the same. He was the black man that was actually trying to do right and start a family. It was just really messed up. Once again he was in jail still trying to prove something to the white man, but this time it was his innocence, and like it was before he went to jail, he wasn't able to fulfill what he wanted. I think that he had to die because it just seemed like all odds were against him. He could never seem to get it right, but Richard didn't see the big picture though. He didn't know Elizabeth was pregnant.
ReplyDeleteJust like every other black male during this time, Richard had to fight for his respect to be treated normal in society. His way of fighting was to find a way to become more intelligent than the white folks so that they wouldn't look down upon him. Richard, as a young man, would spend most of his time reading books and teaching himself educational things. He would take Elizabeth on a date to museums to show her how intelligent he was and how if he knew all this stuff the white man would treat him right. As the time went on Richard got into some trouble for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and was put into jail. He had to prove his innocence which then got him freed from prison but hard to re enter the society as African American citizen. He felt that he "had to die" for Elizabeth so that she won't have to go through struggles of being with a man who got into some trouble with the law and she have to live a life being judged because of him. Like Richard, men in today's society have to prove themselves in order to get respect.
ReplyDeleteBeing an African American male, Richard did not have many opportunities in the first place. He lost his mother at a young age and , like a " typical" African American father, Richard's dad walked left him. By this being mentioned Richard was not enrolled in school and did not get a proper education. By his father walking out on him at a young age and his lack of an education it put him at a disadvantage. there was no way that he could be an African American man competing against a white society. He had to find something that he could beat them at though. He was extremely street smart and educated in the arts. When the Richard brought Elizabeth on dates, he would bring her to museums and would educate her on the pieces. Later on in his life he created a system where he would work during the day and go to school at night.
ReplyDeleteThe night that Richard got arrested he did not stand a chance. He was a black male that was somewhere at the wrong time and black skin meant trouble to white society. Because he looked like the other boys he was thrown in jail as well.
Richard did all that he could do to stay out of site from whites. He was involved because of his skin color and not because of his actions. He committed suicide to make a point about the struggle of a black man in a white world. Surprisingly his death made his unknown sons life better. By taking his own life he made it possible for Elizabeth to meet Gabriel who was able to take her under his wing and support the two of them.
I agree with your post until you said that Richard dying made John's life better. I think Richard would have been a good father to John and loved him with all his heart, nlike Gabriel who does not love John and only takes care of him because that is his wife's child.
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ReplyDeleteRichard was overall very intelligent based on his circumstances. He didn't attend school as a young boy but how the same knowledge as the white man. He wanted to learn what they knew and know it even better! So he went to libraries and museums to learn everything he needed to know. I also think Richard took Elizabeth on dates to museums to show her how smart he was, and to show her that he knew just as much as the white man. Richard took his own life in killing himself by cutting his artery in his wrist because he felt like society was never going to change. Throughout his whole life he tried everything he could to stay out of trouble with whites, but that was hard to do. After pleading to the police about a robbery he was accused of, Richard's life was based off the fact that he was a black African American man. He was involved with the crime because of his skin color and nothing more.Richard physical and mental challenge came when he was beaten, held in prison, and charged with robbing the store with the three black boys.So him committing suicide was his own way of expressing his struggle in white america.
ReplyDeleteRichard was a self-taught individual, driven by the determination to be an equal to the White men he disdained. In this set time period, it was taboo for an African American to pursue any sort of education. Richard is disadvantaged for two reasons. Firstly, by reading and learning whatever is available to him when it is accessible, he is committing a "sin" against the White society. Secondly, Richard is shown to often express his disbelief in God and illustrates a blatant disrespect for God through his sarcasm and creation of a child out of wedlock. For these sins, Richard must die in order to restore a sense of balance to society. His decision to commit suicide was his way of dealing with his failure to never give a White person the satisfaction of making him feel like "dirt" (Baldwin 168).
ReplyDeleteRichard was a very intelligent African-American man. From reading the section about Richard it reveals a lot about the society the characters lived in. He took Elizabeth on a dates like to the museum so both of them could learn new things. Richard died as a result o him not wanting to conform to the way the society was governed. He was falsely accused and severely punished because of a crime that he did not commit. Richard's death proved that no matter how educated a back man was they still would not be successful as a white man. Richard had to die because he is not fit for the society that he lived in. Richard was a type of person that would not accept the white man's rule. He could not face the rest of his life living the way the white men wanted him to live.
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ReplyDeleteRichard's life showed that being a black man in society is going to be hard and no matter how educated or honest you are people will still see you only skin deep. Richard's upbringing may have been tough because he really didn't have a family. But the struggles he went through made him a more independent person who was capable of obtaining an education and is those days that was not easy for a black man to do. Richard beat society stereotypes which is why he had to die because he did not function like all the other black men living in the white society. Richard's death proved that it is hard for a black man to get at top and be successful because the white man will always bring him down. I also feel that after Richard's experience in jail he could not live in a society that basically tortured black men and decided that day that the one thing white people could not take was he life because he was going to take it himself.
ReplyDeleteRichard was never formally educated due to his circumstances as a child. He never stayed anywhere long and no one seemed to care much about him. He however always wanted to do much more and be educated so he did it for himself. To say that Richard never really attended school, he educated himself very well. He paired respect with knowledge and figured that if he knew everything that the white man knew then they would have to respect him. When he took Elizabeth out on dates, he would always take her to museum to teach her new things and show her how smart he was. Everything changed when he got arrested for allegedly robbing some white man's store. While Richard was locked up, he was mentally and psychically destroyed. He knew that even though he got off, he would never be able to gain any sort of respect again now that he was in "bad standings" with the police. Society would treat him just like any other black man and no amount of education or knowledge would ever change that. So he committed suicide to escape the world that would never judge him by his content but simple by his skin complexion.
ReplyDeleteRichard’s education was not the best education a person could receive because he did not attend school. His education was self-taught and he learned by using his common sense. Although he was not very book-smart, Richard knew that in order to attempt to live in a “white man’s world” he would have to know many of the things they know. As for the dates he took Elizabeth on, Richard liked to take her to art museums and such. This showed that he was enamored with the same cultural aspects that the white men were. It gave him a sense of equality since he took part in hobbies that the white men took part of. I think Richard felt that he had to die because he came to the realization that the white man categorized him with every other black man, whether good or bad. When he was arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Richard saw all of his attempts to become equal to white men go out the window. He gave up on life because he knew that during his time period he would never get the recognition he deserved for being different than every other black man.
ReplyDeleteRichard Elisabeth’s ex-boyfriend was a very intelligent man, who learned a lot of things over the years. The knowledge that he gained was not learned in the most common way, like others because he had to teach himself. Richard was faced with a lot of obstacles being that he was living in a day and age where African Americans were not permitted to a lot of things. Richard seen this as the white man was always looking down upon him, but he had to prove them wrong so he constantly improved himself for the better. Richard took Elisabeth out to a museum when they first started dating to show her his educated side. Since Richard was always trying to better himself or show others that he was capable, it makes me wonder what were the cause of this mindset. After Richard was falsely put into jail because he was thought to be someone else he was soon released. After Richard got out he realized that even though he strived for the best it would never be the best so he then killed himself.
ReplyDeleteRichard's behavior reveals the constant struggle it was for black men to succeed. Richard didn't finish school and wasn't that educated as a kid, but he grew up to teach himself the necessary needs of how to survive. Richard felt that if he educated himself enough that he wouldn't be considered under the "the white man". He was always searching for something different out of life. When Richard went to jail it changed him. He gave up and he didn't want to live life anymore. He felt like he was nothing and their was no point of his existence anymore.
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ReplyDeleteGrowing up, Richard was not able to attend school because he often spent his child hood floating from one family member to the next. But he did not let the lack of being able to physically go to school keep him from becoming intelligent and learning what he wanted and needed to know in order to further his education. He did not want the white men to look down on him or think he was ignorant. So not only did he learn what the white men knew, but he learned it and understood it better than they did. Richard learned and thought himself everything he could by reading books and literature. Richard was basically self-educated. His method of becoming educated implies that the black man’s condition in this society were not equivalent to that of the white people at that point in history. Richard often liked to take Elizabeth to the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I feel like his arrest must have killed that hope and aspirations he had and it was what led him to make the decision to take his own life. He felt as if death was his only escape from further punishment and persecution.
Richard is quite a smart and clever man. It's hinted that Richard wants to be educated like white people, but Elizabeth feels sorry for him because he is aiming too far. He wants to be smart and intelligent so no whites will look down on him. Richard also takes Elizabeth out on dates in parks. He takes Elizabeth out on dates to a museum where he admires the African arts (167). This shows that he is quite knowledgeable in the field of African Arts. The places that they go to are simple public locations. They didn't go anywhere fancy most likely due to racism. Richard passed away when John was only 6 months old. I think the purpose for Richard's death is to develop Elizabeth's character further. Elizabeth becomes afraid of people after Richard's death. She does not seek to make any new friends (178). His death also shows how black men are treated in society during that time. Although Richard did nothing wrong, the police accused him of the crime. Richard knew that the police see all colored people the same. He chose to cut off his own life because he would rather be the person to take care of him rather than some whites.
ReplyDeleteRichard’s education, his dates with Elizabeth and his death could only possibly connect to one thing during those situations, which is the hardship black men had to go through and endure in a white society. It was a very struggling and stressful life; he did not attend school so he had to self-educate himself because he thought that education is very important in his life. He read a lot of books and went to museums in order to get knowledge on various things and he wanted to prove to the white people that he could do the same things they could do just as good as them. He was very big on education as he thought it his savior against white people as he wanted to stop being mistreated but his life was still miserable with them. He was never acknowledged by them which defy the purpose of him going for education so much. He took Elizabeth on dates to museums usually to show her the knowledge as he has as well as teach her knowledge in order to have something in the society she lives in. After he was caught with three black boys that robbed a white man’s store and stood next to him when the police came to picked them up. He was mistakenly taken into custody and after few days, was proven innocent so was let out of jail. This was kind of a test to his will in life, which proved him to be weak willed as he killed himself soon after he got out without a second thought of his upcoming son John and his beloved wife Elizabeth. I believe the reason that he had to die is because he was not acknowledged by white people already, and Richard entering jail would even make him look worse in the white people’s eyes. So he felt obligated to death since his chances now were close to nothing.
ReplyDeleteRichard was Elizabeth’s first husband and the love of her life. Richard was a wise and intelligent men and strived for the bettering of his life. Although Richard didn’t attend school as a young boy he was smart because of his longing to be equivalent to the white man making him wanting to be educated so he could be just as equal. Richard would take Elizabeth to museums on their dates and try to enlighten her as well. Richard loved knowledge and wanted to learn about things just as the white men and women did. Elizabeth loved Richard so much and lived her life for him. Richard was falsely convicted when some white men robbed a store and Richard was there and he was taken to jail and later let go because he was found not guilty and after that point he became depressed and began to shut himself of from the world. Elizabeth’s love for him couldn’t even save him. Richard who was once so driven and ambitious about education and making himself better to fit in society with the whites now was not whom who ultimately wanted to be. When Richard died Elizabeth didn’t know what do and her having John didn’t make things any better. When Elizabeth met Gabriel is was as if he was her savior and gave her and John a better life and as well a father for John. She had lived her life so much for Richard that she wasn’t really religious at least not in the way Gabriel. She lived for Richard and now she was to live for Gabriel and God. I Feel as if, if Richard would have never died then she would have never met Gabriel. She truly loved Richard and would have done anything for him.
ReplyDeleteRichard was very different and somewhat my favorite because he never gave up. Richard enjoyed taking Elizabeth on different dates because he wanted the best for his self and for Elizabeth to become wiser than the next white man. Although he did not go to school because of his life style, he did not let that determine his future and goals in life. Elizabeth and Richard enjoyed each others company so much that when he got arrested and sent into jail he sacrificed his own life sos he can live better for another man (Gabriel) and God. Richard knew he showed her a lot in life that she would be able to handle herself in any type of situation that comes her way or if not she would be smart enough to think of way to get out of it. Richard was a good man.
ReplyDeleteThink about Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death. What do all these things imply about the black man's condition in this society? Why does Richard "have to" die? Why does he make the decision that he makes?
ReplyDeleteRichard's education, the proper dates he took little bit on, the goodness in his heart, his intelligence, it seems as if it didn't matter. His situation implies no matter how smart you are or how much better you are than the white man, the black man never wins. After his moment in jail, he cried so hard because out of all the intelligence in his heart, he still managed to get defeated. He felt like he lost and that's sad because he had Elizabeth, but him feeling defeated, i guess, just crushed him into pieces; he couldn't handle that. He was so used of staying on top and he educated himself in every way to be better. After the jail moment though, he felt like damn, all that and I still fell. That led him to commit suicide and that's the saddest moment in the book to me.
Richard was Elizabeth's first husband and father of John. Elizabeth loved him with all her heart and lived her life for him. Richard was falsely convicted and sent to jail only to be released later on. The novel spoke of Richard as being wise and intelligent even though his circumstances. Richard repeatedly skipped school due to his living circumstances. He wasn't able to learn anything from school, but he became, "street smart." He taught himself so he could be just as smart or smarter than the whites. He vowed," ...One day that I was going to get to know everything them white bastards knew, and I was going to get to know it better than them..." (Baldwin 168). He repeatedly went to libraries and museums, so he could grow his mind, and gain a vast knowledge on a variety of topics. This could be one of the reasons why on his first date with Elizabeth he took her to the museum, so he could show off his knowledge. I truly believe that Richard could have been a better father than Gabriel because Richard could have given John the love and respect that he deserves unlike Gabriel who blames everything on him.
ReplyDeleteRichard was a well self-educated man who wanted better in life. He obtained knowledge by going to libraries and museums. He saw education as a form of equality, respect. He felt that maybe if he was equally, if not smarter than the white men, then maybe life would be more pleasurable for him. When he and Elizabeth would go on dates to the museum, he would amaze her by all the knowledge he had obtained. He was sent to jail for a crime he hadn't commited and there he was beaten. In jail is where I personally feel like Richard gave up on life. He had not done anything wrong yet he was still treated unfairly because he was black.
ReplyDeleteTo me Richard was a very educated person who knew a lot about life but just wanted a better life for his family but was denied it because he was black man living in very racist times. I don't think Richard needed to die because if you think about yes times were difficult and racism was alive and well but it wasn't that bad. Think about the poor slaves who had no kind of rights at all. Richard had rights to do somethings and better cooperation with the white people since he was in the north.I think that Richard was being cowardly for committing suicide because he didn't want to face the world. He should have maned up and face all of the oppression and challenges head on instead of trying get rid of his problems.
ReplyDeleteRichard was a very smart man who had plenty of common sense and street smarts. Richard did not have the best education in the world, but he made an effort to teach himself the many wonders of the world and life. He was a self taught educated black man, he learned so he could overcome adversity because black men were not depicted as intelligent in his society. He would take Elizabeth on dates educational dates so she can gain a lot of knowledge and insightful information. These things imply that black men are not seen as being intellectual in society. It is saying that we must educate ourselves to thrive in society because if we do not we will never come out on top. Richard has to die because that if we was falsely accused of robbery because he was a black man than life is not worth living. He was a smart and peaceful black man not a typical black criminal. Because society only sees him for the color of his skin he did not want to live in it. He should have not committed suicide because black people have to learn to overcome all obstacles not matter what the circumstance is.
ReplyDeleteYes, I totally agree. I'm glad that he took a stand for himself and wanted to learn to prove that as a black man, he too can be educated. He also allowed Elizabeth to be apart of his growth and educational side by bringing her to places so they can learn together.
DeleteI think that Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death showed that it was a struggle, even up north for a black man. Richard was, going to work during the day and school at night to make a better life for Elizabeth and himself. He wanted to marry Elizabeth but everyday it seem like he wouldn't be able to do it. “Since he was going to school at night and made very little money, their marriage, which she thought of as taking place almost as soon as she arrived, was planned for a future that grew even more remote." (163). He would take Elizabeth to museums and libraries on dates which showed that he was an intelligent man. He was trying to prove the white man wrong by getting an education and starting a family. It was horrible how Richard was accused falsely because he wasn't a “normal” black man. Some whites in the north still believed that all black men were beneath them and could not succeed, "You black bastards, you're all the same" (137). This time he was in jail trying to prove his innocence to the white man. The thought of others looking at him with disgust led him to kill himself. He cared to much of what others would think of him.
ReplyDeleteRichard is described as a good, smart, and well-rounded man. He never grew up going to school and learning. He learned at a young age that he should learn even if he wasn’t given the opportunity. Richard believed he should at least know what the “white” men knew or more. Elizabeth truly describes him as the perfect gentleman. Richard would take her to museums where he could show her a new world that she’s never seen before. This all changes when Richard is accused of a crime he never committed. He is sent to jail. When he is finally proven innocent, Elizabeth explains that it was too late, because jail truly changed him to the point where he committed suicide. In my opinion, Richard tried his whole life to show the white men what he was capable of, however, once in jail he realized it was impossible. Upon leaving jail, I believe Richard lost all hope. If Richard’s fate were different, Elizabeth would not have met Gabriel. Without meeting Gabriel, John’s life would have completely different as he would not have been “saved.”
ReplyDeletei really liked your post. You made good points
DeleteRichard was a very smart African American man to say he grew up in the early 1900s, however he did not acquire this knowledge by attending school. Richard wanted to make sure that he was smarter than any white man. He wanted to know what they knew but, have more intellect than them. Also, he lost his mother when he was young, with that being said another hardship he had was when his father walked out of his life. He was love for Elizabeth was like no other than any man’s love for his wife. They went on dates to the library and the museum. While on their dates Richard showed Elizabeth the amount of knowledge he knew and she was amazed. This made her very happy. One night while waiting at the train station a group of young black boys ran by him who were being chased by the police. The police arrested all of them because they thought Richard was an accomplice to the boys robbing a store. After spending a few days in jail Richard had a court date and was found not guilty, he was then released from jail. Richard decided that it was time for his life to come to an end and committed suicide do to the fact that white folks looked at him as unequal to them even though he was on the same caliber of education as them, but they saw differently do to him being black.
ReplyDeleteI felt sorry for Richard. As a result of the circumstances he grew up in the South, he was not fairly educated. He experienced moving from home to home so his childhood was very unstable, not allowing him to go to school. Yet, he uses this as motivation to get an education and to be smarter than the very people that talk down upon him. He saw an education as hope. He took Elizabeth out on nice dates and took trips to the museum and such. One could tell that he was fascinated at the thought of living the comfortable upscale life that many blacks in that time period didn’t experience. However, tragedy struck and he was beaten and accused of robbing a store when he actually didn’t. As a result, he lost all hope and once he realized that there was the big possibility that he wouldn’t fulfill his dream, there was no point in living anymore. He didn’t have a strong affiliation with faith and religion either, which is probably a strong reason as to why he easily fell into life’s trials and tribulations instead of fighting and looking forward. Richard is a prime example of what black men expected in life around that time. Working so hard only to be cut down by the white man, which is a pretty sad thought.
ReplyDeleteRichard shows the true struggle for the African American male of that time and even of this age. He did not acquire to much schooling when he was young but he did when he was older by going to night school. Richard struggled along his path and tried to treat Elizabeth the way a lady should be treated. He shines light to every male that reads the novel to show that you can make it when society says you can't.
ReplyDeleteRichard was not an educated man in a true “book smart” sense. He was more of a worldly and open-minded man; he was a freethinker. Since he was passed around between so many families as a child, Richard did not go to school as much as a young child should. But instead of him being put down even further for being a black man in America, Richard decided to teach himself. Eventually, Richard did begin to go to night school. He did not go to school during the day because he needed to work so he could have money. He learned about history by visiting museums. When Richard took Elizabeth out on dates he would take her to museums. When he did that he was trying to prove how educated in history he truly was. From the start of his life Richard was not meant to succeed, like a typical black man in a white man’s society. It is very stereotypical when a black man is seen at the scene of a crime to just assume that he committed the crime. That is what happened to Richard and he was unlawfully thrown into jail for that. That experience changed him; it scarred him for life. He killed himself but cutting his wrist because he knew that a change would never come. A black man in a white man’s society was not a good thing. The black man was already set up to fail from birth. I believe Richard had to die because the world was not a place for him to be. He had to die so that Elizabeth could only get stronger. He had to die to make room for Gabriel. He had to die so that John would have a better chance in life. No matter how hard Richard pleaded and tried to be better than the white man, it would never have a good outcome because a black man in a white man’s society is the same as the rest, destined to fail. Olivia Sherman: Week 10
ReplyDeleteRichard's education and taking Elizabeth on dates symbolizes the constant struggle the black man who wanted to advance in society faced. Richard found himself in a conflict in sticking to the traditions black men were taught in terms of courting a young woman, however the way in which Richard does so is unique. Richard wants to expose Elizabeth to what he finds important in life which is education, so he takes her on dates that combine the two. This shows that as a black man in this time period, it was mandatory to always try to find a balance in life in order to be successful. Richard leaned more towards the side of black men advancing in life in terms of education, which is why he had to die. In this time, whites gave the opportunity to blacks in the north to advance in their life, however many saw a black educated man as a threat and still do today. Richard was caught in a time where he was willing to take on more of a responsibility in society through his education, though not all of his community was. During this time period, and today, in certain areas black men are all seen as the same and being in the wrong place at the wrong time could cause an innocent black man to suffer with the worst of them. When Richard was in jail it was a traumatic experience in which his mind was damaged. Richard felt it was necessary to take his own life for his mind is what he took the most pride and purpose in and if it was damaged he felt he had lost a part of himself. I think this traumatic event also showed Richard that though he was ready to advance in life, society was not ready for this and I do not think Richard was willing to let a part of himself go to satisfy society. He would rather die. This death also has contributed to the person John is for if Richard did not die, than John would not have been exposed to God, only education.
ReplyDeleteRichard was a self-educated black man who was persecuted because of his skin color. He took Elizabeth on dates where she could learn as much as possible to better her future. These things indicate that black men had no real place in society then. He was blamed for a robbery that he did not commit, so Richard ended up in jail. After getting out he went through depression and eventually killed himself.
ReplyDeleteRichards dates with Elizabeth and his educations symbolizes the things that a typical African American male went through. HE wasn't fairly as educated as a caucasian male and his dates with Elizabeth showed that he tried to please her and also trying to teach himself things. HE felt that there wasn't a point in living when he was accused of the robbery which he did not even commit, so after he got released from jail he was depressed and committed suicide.
ReplyDeleteRichard didn’t receive and education when he was a child, but once he grew up he was determined to be as smart as the white man. Although Richard didn’t attend institute for education, he taught himself. He would take Elizabeth on dates to museums so he was able to learn new things. He was determined to not be the “usual” African American male in their society. In their society an African American is looked down upon and seen as worthless. African Americans weren’t able to get an education because the white man wouldn’t allow it. In the society Richard lived in, he “had to die” because there were no opportunities with him living. The reasons behind Richard’s death also show the level that African Americans were put. He went to jail based off a stereotype which is that all Africans Americans look alike. No matter how many times Richard would have said he was innocent, they still wouldn’t believe him. Richard committed suicide based of the torture he was put through because he was an African American. Society killed him.
ReplyDeleteThe society in which Richard resided in was a society that did not allow the African American male to better himself or have a proper education. Richard was a self-taught man; he taught himself by reading books and opening his mind. He not only tried to better himself, he also had Elizabeth in mind. He would take her on dates to museums and things of that sort and this only opened his mind to more information and Elizabeth's as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen Richard was taken to jail it did something to his mind. I believe that Richard discovered that there was nothing he could do in this society to better himself if they would not accept him for it in the end. He may have felt that his mind was trapped in the views of society and the only way to free himself was death.
Think about Richard's education, where he liked to take Elizabeth on dates, and his death. What do all these things imply about the black man's condition in this society? Why does Richard "have to" die? Why does he make the decision that he makes?
ReplyDeleteDuring this time, black people in general were the lowest in society. Blacks, like the characters in the story, try to make a better living for themselves in a society where they are viewed as unless, uneducated people. Richard's yearn for a better education was his way of fighting back. Fighting fire with fire. He thought that being educated would change the way ge was treated by the ruling white man. Unfortunately, that will never be the case. In my opinion, that is why Richard "had to die". If education, or even being innocent in the eyes of the most powerful people was not going to change the way they see him, then there is no point of trying. In other words, Richard gave up. He does not know about John, in fact, his whole life he has been fighting to live. He has been in and out of adoption and working just to makes ends meet. I bet Richard tried to live for something better and worth it but realized that a black man in that type of society will never succeed.
Richard never received a formal education therefore he decided to educate himself by reading book and attending night school. Richard was well aware of how the white society viewed blacks especially black males. Richard decided to educate himself because he did not want to be looked down upon and he thought the whites would respect him more because he was educated. When Richard and Elizabeth went on dates they went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History because he was so passionate about education and he wanted to share that passion with Elizabeth. Richard became a victim of racism when he was arrested for a crime he did not commit. This arrest took a toll on him because he was innocent and he already knew the hardships black men in society had but now he was a black man with a criminal record. This is why he kills himself; he feels that his education and the fight to be treated equally in the white world were over. Richard had lost all hope in himself. If Richard did not die Elizabeth would have never met Gabriel and John would have never been saved.
ReplyDeleteThe black man condition in society was to be kept ignorant and by doing that then they would not know what they were missing. In Richards case he educated himself and by doing this he was not taught "white" ideas to keep him down and his education gave him the ability to see oppression that still lived and he hated the way that white people looked at him. He took Elizabeth on dates to Museum in order to educate her and also to show her that black people could do what white people could do.
ReplyDeleteAs a black man, who didnt attend school due to his living situation, Richard was a very intelligent man. He amde sure he learned what he had to, whether someone told him to or not. He would go to libraries, museums and he would read books to make sure he knew as much information as the white man knew. Richard waned to be successful in life, but he undertood that his lack of education, and the color of his skin would not allow him to be in his lifetime. Education was very important to Richard, thats why on dates he would take Elizabeth to the museums as well. He wanted to Elizabeth to gain some knowledge as well. Richard went into a "depression", later in life because he was falsey accused of robbing a store, but however he was released later and found not guilty. i do belive he probably thought life had nothing to offer him. Maybe he thought he couldnt make it in this world, because of all of his, what he think is flaws.Maybe if Richard had never died, john would not have been saved, because elizabeth would have probally not been so devoted to a relationship with god, because he and Richard was living a life of sin. Of corse f Richard would have not died, Her and Gabriel would have not met.
ReplyDeleteRichard educated himself by reading. He would take Elizabeth on dates to places where he can learn something new and gain more knowledge. Richard wanted to learn as much as he could so he could keep up with the white men. He was already seen as less than the white men because he was black. If Richard wouldn't have died, Elizabeth wouldn't have had the chance to meet Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteRichard didn't have an education like others because he wasn't privileged. However, he took every opportunity that he could to learn. For example, on dates with Elizabeth, he would take her to museums. This shows his interest in history, art, and education. Richard committed suicide after being thrown in jail for a crime that he did not commit. Being thrown in jail without any evidence other than the fact of his skin color shows that society was in favorable of the whites rather than the blacks. Richard has to die because it becomes the reason for Gabriel and Elizabeth to meet and John being saved. Without Gabriel, both Elizabeth and John would not have been down the religious path that they are in. His death takes the plot down a different path.
ReplyDeletei think that this implies that the black man's circumstances were based on his own actions. Richard said that he knows so much because he doesn't want white men looking at him like dirt. this shows that black men had to change their own circumstances, no one was going to hand it to. Just praying to the Lord, without any action, was not going to get you anywhere. However, it also showed that no matter how much a black man knew, it was very hard to change his circumstances. Richard went to school but still had a low paying job. Richard has to die, according to Elizabeth, because of her lack of devotion to God. because she put Richard before him so he took Richard away from her. Richard makes the decision he makes because prison changes him, the ambition and drive he had before prison was gone and he felt like his circumstances would never change no matter how educated he was, he was still black and being black he felt would get you no where
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