Bright and Morning Star | Bright and Morning Star

At a glance:

Author: Richard Wright
First Published: 1938
Type of Plot: Social realism
Time of Work: The 1930's
Setting: Near Memphis, Tennessee
Principal Characters: Johnny-Boy, Sue, Sug, Reva, Booker
Genres: Social realism, Short fiction
Subjects: African Americans, Mothers, Parents and children, Power, personal or social, Class conflict, Communism or communists, Racism, Race, Police, South or Southerners, Interracial relationships, Betrayal, 1930’s, Violence, Death or dying, Old age or elderly people
Locales: Memphis, TN

In the first of the story's six sections, Sue, an elderly and dignified black woman, recalls her burdensome life and efforts to survive the death of her husband and the births of her sons, Sug and Johnny-Boy. Both sons believe in the promise of the Communist Party to end strife between the races and economic classes. Sug, however, is imprisoned for his party activities, and Johnny-Boy, like many Richard Wright characters, is fleeing from white people who seek to identify Communist Party members in order to destroy both them and the party. Sue and Reva, a white woman...

Bright and Morning Star | Bright and Morning Star

At a glance:

The Story

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