Hungry for Attention

This week's question is about Richard Wright, the author of Black Boy. Is Richard "hungry" for attention when he was young? Is he alone in his cravings?

I would say that Richard is hungry for attention, but he is not alone in his cravings. Richard said that he "accidentally" burned the curtains and that he only wanted to see what it would look like on fire. Though, he only did this because he felt that he did not receive attention since his grandmother was sick. Another thing is that Richard stands and waits outside of the saloon waiting to be invited in by a customer. During his stays inside the saloons, he is asked to drink and recite vulgar words to others for a penny or so. I would consider these actions as examples of being hungry for attention. Richard seemed to have gotten off his addiction for alcohol easily, meaning it was not actually alcohol that drove him to the saloons, but rather for the attention he gets from the men and women.

Richard's mother is also hungry for attention in a way. She brings Richard and his brother to her work place and asks them to go to court to testify against their father. This is also evident when she asks Richard to go ask his father to give him a few dollars so he is fed and taken to Arkansas.