Black Black BoyBoyChapters 11 & Chapters 11 &

1212

Richard reaches Memphis Richard reaches Memphis on a cold morning in 1925. on a cold morning in 1925.

As he walks along Beale As he walks along Beale Street looking for Street looking for accommodations….accommodations….

He notices that outside an He notices that outside an apartment, there is a apartment, there is a board announcing the board announcing the availability of rooms. availability of rooms.

Then he looks into the face Then he looks into the face of a fat and elderly, but of a fat and elderly, but smiling Mulatto Woman, smiling Mulatto Woman, peeping out of the window.peeping out of the window.

Richard mistakes her for a Richard mistakes her for a prostitute and walks away. prostitute and walks away.

The woman calls him back The woman calls him back and assures him that she and assures him that she is a respectable woman. is a respectable woman.

Richard accepts the room Richard accepts the room at two and a half- dollars a at two and a half- dollars a month. month.

Richard is very happy that Richard is very happy that he has got a decent he has got a decent lodging on the first day of lodging on the first day of his visit to Memphis.his visit to Memphis.

He therefore dozes off to He therefore dozes off to sleep. sleep.

When he wakes up, he When he wakes up, he joins the family for joins the family for lunch. lunch.

Mrs. Moss introduces Mrs. Moss introduces her teenaged daughter, her teenaged daughter, Bess to him. Bess to him.

The girl is charming and The girl is charming and vibrant. vibrant.

Mrs. Moss hints that she Mrs. Moss hints that she would like Bess to marry would like Bess to marry a boy like Richard. a boy like Richard.

Bess responds Bess responds enthusiastically to the enthusiastically to the suggestion. suggestion.

Feeling embarrassed, Feeling embarrassed, Richard decides to keep Richard decides to keep a distance from them. a distance from them.

In the evening, as he goes In the evening, as he goes about exploring the streets about exploring the streets of Memphis, a board of Memphis, a board outside a hotel catches his outside a hotel catches his attention: the hotel is attention: the hotel is looking for dishwashers.looking for dishwashers.

Richard meets the Richard meets the Manager of the hotel and Manager of the hotel and gets the job at $10 a week.gets the job at $10 a week.

He is happy that he has He is happy that he has acquired a job with good acquired a job with good salary, as it would enable salary, as it would enable him to save money for his him to save money for his trip to Chicago.trip to Chicago.

Returning back, he informs Returning back, he informs Mrs. Moss about his job at Mrs. Moss about his job at the hotel. the hotel.

The landlady is happy with The landlady is happy with his situation and persuades his situation and persuades him to have food with them. him to have food with them.

Bess forces herself on Richard Bess forces herself on Richard and she wants him to make love and she wants him to make love to her. to her.

Richard gets tempted but resists. Richard gets tempted but resists. In the morning, to avoid meeting In the morning, to avoid meeting

Bess, he eats canned food in his Bess, he eats canned food in his room before going out. room before going out.

On the way, he meets a boy who On the way, he meets a boy who seeks his help in lifting seeks his help in lifting contraband liquor and selling it contraband liquor and selling it to a white man. to a white man.

The boy promises to share the The boy promises to share the money with Richard but reneges. money with Richard but reneges.

Richard realizes that both the Richard realizes that both the boy and the white man have used boy and the white man have used him to dispose of their stash. him to dispose of their stash.

Walking aimlessly on the Walking aimlessly on the streets of Memphis, streets of Memphis, Richard hits upon the idea Richard hits upon the idea of seeking employment in of seeking employment in an optical company. an optical company.

With this object in mind, he With this object in mind, he looks through the directory to looks through the directory to find the address of a good find the address of a good optical company. optical company.

Soon, he meets the owner of Soon, he meets the owner of the company, who employs the company, who employs him but does not promise to him but does not promise to teach him the trade. teach him the trade.

Richard accepts the job, Richard accepts the job, though the salary is lower though the salary is lower than what he was getting in than what he was getting in the hotel. the hotel.

He starts working earnestly He starts working earnestly and soon adjusts himself to and soon adjusts himself to the surroundings. the surroundings.

He gets used to working in He gets used to working in the midst of White men.the midst of White men.

He also becomes friendly He also becomes friendly with the black workers with the black workers and shares his lunch with and shares his lunch with them. them.

Richard’s ordered life Richard’s ordered life experiences tremors, as he experiences tremors, as he encounters problems both in encounters problems both in the house and at the work the house and at the work place. place.

At home, Mrs. Moss pesters At home, Mrs. Moss pesters him to befriend Bess. him to befriend Bess.

When her nagging When her nagging becomes becomes unbearable, Richard unbearable, Richard threatens to move threatens to move out of the place. out of the place.

Mrs. Moss and her Mrs. Moss and her daughter apologize daughter apologize for their behavior for their behavior and promise never and promise never to bother him again.to bother him again.

Amongst the black Amongst the black employees in the employees in the company, there is an company, there is an elevator operator elevator operator called Shorty.called Shorty.

Shorty is a southern Shorty is a southern Negro, with the Negro, with the complexion of an complexion of an Asian man. Asian man.

Richard does not Richard does not have a good opinion have a good opinion of Shorty, as he is of Shorty, as he is willing to get willing to get insulted by the insulted by the whites in order to get whites in order to get a quarter from them.a quarter from them.

At the work place, he meets At the work place, he meets a customer who detects a customer who detects hunger on his face and hunger on his face and offers him a dollar to have offers him a dollar to have lunch. lunch.

Richard feels ashamed to Richard feels ashamed to accept the truth and hence, accept the truth and hence, refuses to take the money. refuses to take the money.

Shortly afterwards, his Shortly afterwards, his foreman, Mr. Olins, meets foreman, Mr. Olins, meets him and provokes him to him and provokes him to pick up a fight with pick up a fight with Harrison, a Black boy Harrison, a Black boy working in a rival optical working in a rival optical company.company.

Richard meets Harrison Richard meets Harrison face to face. face to face.

As they talk, they realize As they talk, they realize that Mr. Olin is trying to that Mr. Olin is trying to create animosity between create animosity between them. them.

They both reach an They both reach an understanding, but Mr. Olin understanding, but Mr. Olin does not leave them alone.does not leave them alone.

He forces them to challenge He forces them to challenge each other in a boxing ring, by each other in a boxing ring, by bribing them with five dollars. bribing them with five dollars.

Richard falls into the trap, Richard falls into the trap, much against his will, and much against his will, and encounters Harrison on the encounters Harrison on the field.field.

As they face each other, As they face each other, they get into the mood of they get into the mood of fighting. fighting.

At the end of the match, At the end of the match, they are both physically they are both physically and morally wounded. and morally wounded.