Black Boy: The Meaning of American Hunger When a person thinks of hunger, food comes to mind. We never think of hunger as anything else. In Richard Wright's book "Black Boy (American Hunger)", a young boy faces many types of hunger. He references the phrase "American Hunger" throughout his book. I think the “American hunger” he is referring to is the hunger to be seen as an American and to be treated as an equal. Throughout his life, he was treated as if he were from another planet. He was always seen as different, an outcast and a loser. He felt the need to be part of what we call American culture. He wanted to be able to do what white kids did. He wanted to be able to go to school, learn, read, have friends, have a job; but because he was African American, he couldn't. This is what I will talk about in this article: his intellectual thirst. Richard was so eager to learn that he never stopped asking questions, and if his questions remained unanswered, he let his imagination take over. He was trying to find work where he could read some of the books. His family and friends refused to let him learn. There is an incident where his teacher read to him. Her grandmother got angry and said that reading was the devil's work. Throughout his childhood, he heard many terms and expressions. He never understood what they meant, but once they said it, he knew if they were good or bad. For example, when Richard was taking a bath and his grandmother came to rub his butt, Richard would respond, "When you're done, kiss you there." It was just one of many sentences he said that he didn't know the meaning of. Through his desire to learn, he began to better understand himself and other blacks and whites. He continues to learn and act stupid for his own survival. His self-education began when a colleague lent Richard his library card to read Mencken's essays. He feels that his dreams and the stories he reads are an escape for him. He wants to fit in with others and be able to be part of America..