(Norvell)
This is revealed at the end from the story the moment Olaf realizes that Rick never meant to kill him but basically do something good for him. It is interesting to note that although Jim drinks and usually spends time with prostitutes, he is the one that offers a nice gesture toward John. Olaf would seem to be the nicer of the two men, given that he does not drink and carry on like Jim will. Olaf seems nice and maintains most of his thoughts to himself; this is certainly precisely why we ought to not trust him. Jim might be regarded as the more extreme and frightening of the two because he towers over 6 feet tall. Wright uses these pictures to illustrate how looks can, and generally are, misleading. Wright keeps us guessing about Rick until the end of the account; he qualified prospects us on with Olaf’s thoughts and fears.
The heart of your man becomes a theme with this story because we are not able to see a mans heart when we look at him. Olaf wasn’t able to see Jim’s heart but it would have benefited him to try it before you make a judgment call. Jim cannot see Olaf’s cardiovascular because in the event that he may, he would have been justified in at least giving him a piece of his mind. Instead, Olaf is a man in Jim’s eye. At the end with the story, Rick considers Olaf a nice enough person to consider good. We are kept to question just how great he would think he was in the event he understood what Olaf thought about him. Olaf would be ashamed individuals to see that heart and he would certainly encounter hazard and possibly damage if his heart could possibly be read. Olaf does phone Jim an excellent man at the conclusion of the account but he places big and black before the phrase good as if to emphasize the simple fact that appears still come before. Jim, together with his good cardiovascular system, does not even take offense to Olaf’s remark – another testament to his great nature.
Robert Spiller observes that Wright’s stories rely on a “cumulative effect of disgust and apprehension at the existence of his Southern negroes” (Spiller 1315) to give his work unification. “Big Dark Good Man” touches within this disgust by simply revealing exactly how incorrect we can be whenever we decide to assess a person on how they look. Jim and Olaf happen to be two men that would be recognized one way if we just looked over them and hade to produce a decision about their personalities. John is big and intimidating; in addition , he is black. Olaf does not offer Jim the opportunity to demonstrate the type of person he is before he decides on his very own. This turns out to be a mistake for the reason that Olaf waste products a time and energy disliking and worrying this person that has simply no intentions of accomplishing him virtually any harm. In addition , Olaf appears to be a meek old what man that will never damage anyone when he provides hiding for some of the most ardent hate we certainly have ever found. He is the individual that we should almost all fear as they does not provide people the opportunity to prove themselves. He would rather believe that his opinion of someone is correct instead of give him or her the opportunity. Through these types of characters, Wright illustrates how it is difficult to judge a book by it is cover and completely wrong to accomplish this.
Works Offered
Alsen, Bernhard. “Richard Wright. ” African-American Authors. The African-American Encounter Resource Database. Information Recovered December goal, 2008. http://aae.greenwood.com
Ellison, Rob. Modern American Literature. Volume. III. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company. 1969.
Marshall, Margaret. Contemporary American Literary works. Vol. III. New York: Frederick Ungar Creating Co. 1969.
Spiller, Robert. Literary Good the United States. New york city: MacMillan Submitting Co., Inc. 1974.
Norvell, Candyce. “Critical Essay upon ‘Big Black Good Guy. ” Brief Stories for individuals. 2005. Gale Resource Databases. Information Gathered December 03, 2008. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com
Wright, Richard. “Big Black Good Person. “