Names, Violence, and the African American Vernacular in Richard Wright's The Outsider

An analysis of the names and violence in Richard Wright’s The Outsider reveals Wright’s aesthetic program for the novel. Wright’s recurring themes and the meanings of the name and aliases of his protagonist are indicative of African American vernacular tradition. Despite Wright’s physical distance from African American life in the United States at the time of the novel’s writing, he still conveys a strong connection to the African American experience, linking that experience with the suffering of all oppressed people. By using the idea of doubleconsciousness and various forms of signification, including masking, naming, and improvisation, Wright locates his work within the African American folk tradition and celebrates the freedom and subversive nature of African American expression.