The Library Card

The Library Card: Richard Wright, U.S.A (1908- 1960)

Summary:

"The Library Card" is written by Richard Wright, a black writer in U.S.A. Once a boy of negro community was reading a newspaper "The American Mercury" on which he saw a white man called H.L. Mencken being insulted by another white man. He got shocked since he used to think that only negroes were hated, but not a man from white community. The article was furious denunciation in which Mencken was called a fool.

That's why , he became curious to know more about Mencken and was highly inspired to read his books. However, the negroes are not allowed to go to library. They were underpriviliged of the library cards. Fortunately, he was able to use the library cards of a man from white community in his office and read two books by H.K. Mencken. As a result, he found himself in a different world. He understand the cause why Mencken was hated by his own people. He had talked about the equity between whites and blacks. As he reads the man the more he understand the reality. In this way the boy always went to the library and read the book more seriously and critically. After reading many books, he understood his boss and he became conscious about the fact that he had been missing a very important thing in life. Upto that time, reading became like a drug to him. As he had aspiration to became a writer he had to know so many things and people well.

That's why, he brought and start to read English grammars for learning English, but he found the English as a better from novels than grammar, after reading many novels understand the suffering and pain of slaves, suppression and brutal exercise of cruel law by the white against the black. So, he didn't want to live the life of a slave living in the south due to his education. As he was in the minor group, he could not fight against the white either. In this way, his education and learnings made him different from others blacks. So, he couldn't forget the pitiable situation of black easily. Thus, at the end having felt lackness in himself to become a writer, he became very sad.

Application of Four Levels

1. Literal Comprehension:

Richard Wright is the speaker of this story. He is a Negro boy who is uneducated and unaware in the starting. One day, he is reading the article of newspaper. There, he discovers that a white writer named H.L. Mencken is severely criticized and insulted by other whites. The writer wants to know the reason of hatred. For this, he aspires to read the books written by Mencken. However, the blacks are not allowed to go to library and they are deprived of the library cards. The boy acquires two library cards from a kind and gentle Irish Catholic Mr. Falk who gives the boy the cards of his wife. The writer counterfeits the letter himself and obtains two books by Mencken. When he reads these books, he understands the reason behind his own people hating Mencken. He has written about the equity between blacks and whites. As he reads the more, the more he becomes conscious. The boy often goes to the library obtains books and read seriously and critically. Then he recognizes himself his rights freedom and he understands the mystery of the universe. He makes himself dissimilar from other blacks. He understands the misery of the blacks and foolishness of the whites. He upgrades his English, becomes wise then begins to write for the rights and freedom of the blacks.

2. Interpretation:

The story basically deals with color and social discrimination between the Blacks and the whites prevailing during the time after the civil war in USA. lt presents the miserable and penurious condition of the blacks who were extremely conditioned and abused by the Whites. Similarly, they were deprived of using public places like public parks, public library and playgrounds. This story also delineates the importance of education in human life and illustrates the fact that literate people can only understand their life and surrounding. It is also vivid that uneducated and ignorant people are in fact at the position of animals conditioned by human beings. They don't understand the injustice done to them from others. Same thing happened to the black people in southern part of USA. The writer, only after reading the books, became conscious that the blacks were treated inhumanly and discriminated based on their color of the skin. Though, he formed utmost dislike for the Whites, yet he was in confusion on what steps and process to be taken to free themselves from the Whites. So he didn't find any options ultimately and wondered how long he could face it. This shows how pathetic the blacks were that they even couldn't think of fighting for their rights and freedom.

3. Critical Thinking:

This story is interesting, moral and realistic. It urges the importance of education. It also shows the true picture of racial discrimination between blacks and whites in South America. However, a few ideas are questionable. If the black boy is illiterate, how can he read newspaper editorial critically? How can be forging the letter if he is dominated and if he is uneducated? After reading this story we learned that the white people behave Negro quite brutally. But we know that the USA is a highly democratic and participative nation. In such nation, how can we believe that blacks are treated so brutally? Is not there compulsory education for all? Was the black's freedom really seized? Thus, I cannot totally agree with the writer.

4. Assimilation:

Being a learner of English, I got a number of suggestions and inspirations from this story. From now onwards I will also try to guess the meaning of a new word by reading it in its context and situation. If I can't guess , then i will go for the dictionary. Similarly, like the writer, i was also fed up with English Grammars. Now, I will try to develop my sense rationality of English by reading novels. More ever, I have a deep and hidden desire to write books in Nepali, not in English. In spite of my desires and feelings, I have become a failure, now I have known my weakness. I do not have a proper awareness about life. The breath of life is exceeding my reach. I will try to extend my horizon by reading a lot of goods books. I will also be deeply connected with the life of real people. Above all, narrator's life has influenced me to go on reading even in unfriendly conditions.

(Subedi, K.P. and Bhandari, M.B. (2014). Business English. Kathmandu: Highland Publication P. Ltd.)