Big Black Good Man

Big Black good Man and Battle Royal I believe Richard Wright's story â€Å"Big Black Good Man† was written in a time when racial prejudice was a major factor in society. In Today’s society we still have racial prejudice, but it is not as strong as back then. The point in which Richard Wright wanted to get by writing this story is that people should â€Å"never judge others by their race†. In the story, Olaf mentioned Jim was not the first black man he serviced, but he started to make drama of Jim’s behaviors in his head. I think Olaf was the type of person who is ignoring that he is a racist but he actually is one.This was the most important point that Richard Wright was trying to make. This story is focusing more on characters. There were two characters, which responded very differently to the black man. Olaf, whom was working in a hotel for guest services, has an average life, average job and also average thinking. Based on the story Olaf is a type of ma n that is happy with his life and lifestyle and respects others the way they are. Although, as soon as it comes to big black man who enters the hotel every thing about him suddenly changes, some unexpected fear surrounds him.However, every day of Jims stays in the hotel Olaf would gain more fears of a big black man. In his mind, Jim is a big, black, loud and violent man that wants to kill him. On the other hand, Lena responded very differently to the black man. Based on the story, Lena was poor and wiling to do anything such as prostituting to earn money, in order to take care of her four children. Even at the arguments she had with Olaf, she mentioned that he is just another man with manly needs â€Å"He’s just a man†¦I handle ‘im. † She was seeing his as an ordinary man who had good money and wants her; of course it was no fear of him to her conflicting than Olaf.She was called to Jim’s room every night and she was willing to continue. I believe she wouldn’t care if he is black or if he is big, all that matters was the reality of Jim as a man who has money to lead her for taking care of her children. They also ended up liking each other, and started dating and at the end of the story Jim was thankful to Olaf as well. Lena stopped prostituting and making love with Jim; she must have seen him as a good man so she was willing to drop her income. On the other hand, when the story ends Olaf realized Jim was not a violent and harsh man he actually is a big black good man.In addition, when it comes to comparing we can compare â€Å"Big Black good Man† by Richard and â€Å"Battle Royal† by Ralph Ellison. The point in which both narrators wanted to make was the fact of differences in race and struggling of being different. â€Å"Battle Royal† is about young African American who is ? struggling to have a place in their society. It was kind of hard for people back then to deal with this situation and it was al so hard for black people to get into white society. It was all about equality and identity, which they did not have, back then.However, this story was written in 1947, black society in the U. S. was struggling to find an identity for itself separate from the unfair force accrued by a white culture. Ellison uses the theme of blindness throughout the story as he describes the relations between the narrator and the characters in the story. The paper describes the story, beginning with a strange type of the death of the narrator's grandfather and the advice he gave him about life and how to behave as a black man. Grandfather’s advice leads the whole story making narrator to fallow his advice and using it trough his life.In the story, young black boy struggle to get ahead in a predominately white society, he wanted to reach this goal in using his grandfathers advice. His grandfather told him to â€Å"live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open†. I believe his grandfather was trying to tell him to conform to the white people. The whole story shows his struggle and hardships his taking to reach his goal by fallowing grandpa’s advice.At the end of the story he also gives out a successful speech of this advice at his graduation. In conclusion, throughout time racism has been the cause of millions of deaths. In early centires racial prejudice was a major factor in society, now we see less racial prejudice. So many people still struggling because of racist people and some people are hiding their racisom. In both stories authors are trying to tell audiences stop judging people by their look, color and culture, there is absolutely no different between white and black it’s just a color. Human is a human and life goes on with all differences in people. Big Black Good Man â€Å"Big Black Good Man† Racism has existed for as long as humans have walked the earth. â€Å"Big Black Good Man,† by author Richard Wright takes place in 1957 in Copenhagen, Denmark at a cheap hotel on the docks. Olaf Jensen is a 60 year old white night porter who sees all kinds of people come there for a room. When Jim, a 6 1/2 foot tall black sailor who works for American Continental Line, arrives, the dilemma begins. Olaf is frozen by the sight of Jim and wonders whether he should give him a room. But we must read more deeply into the text to know what Olaf is actually feeling.Despite appearances, Olaf is not a racist because he has a multi-cultural background, he is afraid of Jim's size and power, not his skin color, and he feels insecure in Jim's presence. First, Olaf is not a racist because he has a multi-cultural background. In his youth Olaf was a in the services he was a sailor. While in the services over the world traveled all over the world. During his wor ld travels, Olaf has been exposed to a diversity of people from different background, races and cultures.While in navy, Olaf lived side by side with people of color â€Å"In his days, he’d worked and eaten and slept and fought with all kinds of men. † Olaf had been exposed to so much with so many culture. Olaf even lived in the melting pot on the world. â€Å"He lived in New York city for ten years. † For him to live so long in a city with such diversity suggests a open-mindedness to tolerance for different. During his travels, he even had learned 8 languages: â€Å"English, French, German, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian and Spanish. He took the time to learn these languages so he could better understand the people he was associating with. This makes it hard to believe that he was a racist. 1950’s segregation was still going on at this time, but it didn’t make any difference to Olaf. He actually states â€Å"It was not the hotel did not admit men of color†¦. He took all comers, blacks, yellows, whites, and browns. † Olaf did not discriminate on the basis of skin color. â€Å"to Olaf men were men. † Second, Olaf is not a racist because he is afraid of Jim's size and power, not his skin color.Jim’s sheer size at â€Å" 61/2 feet into the air, almost touching the ceiling. † Would cause any men to be afraid. Olaf constantly emphasize Jim’s enormous physique and power, describe as â€Å"His chest bulged like barrel† and â€Å"his rocklike shoulders hinted mountain ridgesâ€Å" and â€Å"the stomach ballooned like a threatening stone. † Olaf description of Jim gives a great image of Jim as a massive size and intimating features. It is easy to understand Olaf fear of Jim. He afraid so Jim that â€Å"With just one look at Jim’s hands he would have shivers†. Olaf was completely terrified of Jim.Later in the story, Jim walked in to the office and demand Olaf to s tand. Standing inch apart Jim lifted his mammoth hand his around Olaf throat. † Olaf lost control of the reflex of his body and felt a hot stickiness flooding his underwear. Olaf fear made him loss control over his own bodily function. I only could imagine this situation and reacting any different then Olaf. Third, Olaf is not a racist because he feels insecure in Jim's presence. Olaf is a small 5†7† 60 years old Caucasian man. Although he wasn’t poor he wasn’t rich, either a lifetime of working, he was still only a night potter.In comparison, Jim who has money, youth and power. He envied Jim â€Å" the easy manner in which it moved with such a creeping powerful motion† He felt that Jim presence command attention and respect. Having this enormous men in his presence frightened and insulted Olaf. â€Å"He believed that this man had come here expressly to remind him how puny, how tiny, and how weak he was. † Olaf offers to take Jim‘s bag, but Jim replies â€Å"That‘s too heavy for you, big boy: I‘ll take it† Olaf feel that this man makes him inferior and less of a man. As a result, Olaf â€Å"Seethed against himself for his involuntary weakness†.He was angry for allowing this men to make him feel weak. Unable to stand up to Jim, he feels â€Å"Him self beaten†, stating â€Å"He thinks am nothing. † Olaf felt so belittle by this man specially after what happen with Jim in his office when due to true fear he wet him self he was so embarrassed that he couldn’t even tell his wife â€Å" he wept†¦. He went home and lied to his wife, he had an upset stomach. † Olaf was so embrace about what had happen he lied. Olaf was so insecure of him self after meeting Jim. This essay has made it clear that Olaf is not a racist but just a very afraid men.A men that aloud his fear cloud his judgments. Even thou he was afraid he never aloud him self to act upon his fears. T his story is a great example of how important close reading is. If you just focus on the vocabulary without putting any thought to what you read you could believe he is a racist. But once you look into the text and take into count the complete picture. An after only after you have read and reread is that the truth come to light. This story show us a great example of not judging a book by it cover. Even thou Jim was huge and scary he was one of the nice people.