Analyzing themes of Equal Rights in Down by the Riverside.

Trigger Warnings: Racist language used in the excerpts I pulled from, mentions of death.

Artwork from the Graphic Arts Collection, Princeton

    Down by the Riverside from Richard Wright is a tragic, naturalist tale, following the perspective of a black man named... Mann. In practically any feasible path of events, it seems as if everything in the events of this story is working to hinder the goals of our tormented protagonist. Most of the major plot points in the story seem to be foreshadowed or alluded to near the very beginning:

• Multiple mentions of white people in general causing trouble in town, which again references the Heartfield Situation. (Think of the part in page 58 describing how Bob tried to find a cheaper boat, but white people all tried selling one to him at inflated prices. Bob would either have to cave in, and give them an absurd amount of money, suffer throughout the entirety of the flood, or, in very dire times, steal a boat.)

• By stealing a boat, Bob unintentionally sparks the future conflict between the Heartfields and Mann

• The very literal example of Chekov's Gun, where Mann has a pistol, in which he soon uses for self-defense in an altercation with Mr. Heartfield.

• Mentions of whites forcefully conscripting black people to work on battling the floods. Those who fail to comply have been shot to death

• (sort of a reach, but still) The language used in reference to the flood and/or storms:

2nd Artwork from the Graphic Arts Collection, Princeton

"Yellow water. Swirling water. Droning water."

"The sky was gray with the threat of rain

which only further builds up to it's unpredictable and turbulent nature and movements throughout the story. The water itself even feels like its own character-- an antagonist, even.

• (also a bit of a stretch but nonetheless) "Ah been feverish all day. Feels like Ah got the Flu (54). "

Potentially could be setting up not a physical sickness, but setting the stage for his stress and mental distress which slowly builds as he experiences more and more trauma. The flood, the distance between the family and the hospital, and the risk of Lulu dying in childbirth is already enough stress, and it only gets worse.

(The highlighted bullet points are points in which I feel are the most important to my argument below)

And by the way if you found any more cool foreshadowing in the story, I'd like to see them in the comments below :)

Now despite all of this wonderful foreshadowing, how does this story relate to the equal rights movement, and the opposition of racial segregation and discrimination?

I would find the most clear relations in 2 passages. One of the passages is when Mann works together with the white military soldiers (Colonel included) to help achieve one common goal. The other passage, much later in the story is where he rescues the rest of the Heartfield family.

If you feel there are any other relations to the equal rights movement, please share in the comments :)

~~

Then the fourth. The fifth. Sixth. When the women and children were gone they began to ease the men over. The work went easier and faster with the men. Mann heard them cursing grimly. Now and then he remembered Lulu and Heartfield and he felt dizzy; but he would urge himself and it would pass.

 "How many more, Colonel?" asked a soldier. 

About twelve! You got enough boats?"

 "Just enough!" 

Mann knew they had gotten them all out safely when he saw the colonel climb through. Brinkley came through last. "Heres one more boat, without a driver!" a soldier called.

 "Thas mah boat!" said Brinkley. 

"Then you go next!" said the colonel. 

Mann looped one end of the rope around a chimney and tied it. Brinkley caught hold and slid down, monkey-like. The colonel crawled over to Mann and caught his shoulder. 

"You did well! I wont forget you! If you get out of this, come and see me, hear?"

 "Yessuh!" 

~~~~

    Together in this passage, and the few that precede it, Mann, Brinkley, the Colonel, and I assume a few soldiers as well, are working together to achieve a common goal: To save people and reel them in before they're swept away by the floodwaters. To bring them all together in response to this common disaster. Soldiers, men, women, children are all rescued with the help of Mann, Brinkley, and the Colonel. They all seemed to have quickly developed a synergy or form of teamwork together, with their racial differences cast aside (...well, for the most part. Note that the colonel and soldiers still address Mann as "boy", and "nigger.")

In the end, as Mann's part of the job is almost done, Colonel says that he won't forget Mann, and briefly commends the work he put in. This is the last line of Colonel before he shows up later, and it's worth noting that he doesn't use any derogatory term in reference to Mann, maybe illustrating a slight change of perspective in the Colonel, and that he misjudged his efforts.

Next, allow me to analyze the Heartfield Rescue excerpt: 

~~

The voice startled Mann; he stiffened. It was the same voice that had yelled, You nigger! You bastard! The same wild fear he had known when he was in the boat rowing against the current caught him. He wanted to run from the room and tell Brinkley that he could find no one; he wanted to leave them here for the black waters to swallow

~~ (Pause, brief summary of what happens in-between)

A long moment of tension passes, as Mann considers either leaving the family who wished him dead to drown, or to kill them with his axe

~~(Resuming)

"Leave me alone, you nigger!"

Mann stood over him, his shoulders slumped, his lips moving.

"Git in the boat," he mumbled.

...(some dialogue, describing the family entering the boat)...

He was again in the boat, beside Brinkley. Mrs. Heartfield and her two children were in the back.

...(describing the ominous and disquieting boat ride)..

Yes, Mann knew they were behind him. He felt them all over his body, and especially like something hard and cold weighing on top of his head; weighing so heavily that it seemed to blot out everything but one hard, tight thought: They got me now.

This passage is a bit more thought-provoking than the last one. There's a definite moral ambiguity about what transpires, and the relationship between Mann and the family. Mann killing Mr. Heartfield in self defense, the stolen boat, the racial slurs, the thoughts of leaving them to die, etc. There is a lot of nuance that surrounds this, but what I think Mann is trying to do is at least hopefully make things right and attempt to mend the bond between those who carry such a vehement hatred for his own being. He wants to at least try to let the rest of the Heartfields see him in a different light despite the very fatal circumstances from many pages ago.

But, alas. Not all stories end happily. The Heartfields alert the soldiers of not only the theft of their boat, but the killing of Mr. Heartfield. He is singled out and surrounded by the very same colonel and soldiers he once gave aid to, along with many other angered white civilians. In a last act of resistance, instead of choosing to be shot in the midst of all these people, he runs with an exhausted mind and fatigued body. He's shot multiple times, and collapses. The soldiers kick him into the riverside, where he is then consumed by the very same murky, turbid waters, which fought against him. The very same waters of which Lulu, had likely been swallowed by, back at the hospital where he chose to help many others in need. I would hate to admit the inevitability of these circumstances, but it all felt so clear with the foreshadowing...

If you shared similar thoughts, and additional ideas about how the equal rights movement connected to this story, again, write your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading the 2nd blog on AFAM-ILY.

3rd Artwork of the Story. Graphic Arts Collection, Princeton