The American artist has been called an Ishmael, doomed to wander on the outskirts of his society. Misunderstood or ignored by those with whom he longs to communicate, this Ishmael often ends up in exile from his people or in desolation among them. When young Richard Wright comes to view those he loves most with the eyes of an outsider, he is for a time unaware of his membership among the American Ishmaels.
In this chapter, we see the origins of an artistic temperament as it develops under extraordinary conditions. At home with Granny, Richard is subjected to severe religious discipline. She is a woman who is completely antilife. All the pleasures of the senses are condemned as sinful; even the food she serves is drained of any taste. Her youngest daughter, Addie, is a carbon copy of Granny, and she and Richard engage in vicious battles. He sees normal boys reduced to docile pupils by the religious education Aunt Addie provides. Worse yet, the boys have none of the moral fiber Richard has found in street gangs. In one incident, a fellow student is too obedient to admit his guilt for a certain act and lets Richard take the blame.
However, this is only one feature of Richard's religious life. It is perhaps the strongest, but there is a subtle side to religion which Richard doesn't miss. It is the artistic element that catches his imagination and nourishes his interest in language. There is beauty in the hymns and mystery in the ritual. Religion gives order where there was only chaos and provides many metaphors for human existence and suffering. Richard's recurrent exposure to these elements affects him deeply. The poetry of the words and songs moves his senses and his mind. It will ultimately give him the passion to write his own poetry.
