Richard Wright's 'The Long Dream' as racial and sexual discourse

African American Review, Summer, 1996 by Yoshinobu Hakutani

"The white man's done conquered us 'cause he's made us 'shamed of our hair, our skin, our noses - 'shamed of Africa. There was a time when the black man was high up! Read, Fish.... Did you know that the Egyptians was black? Did you know that an English king had a black wife? Did you know that Beethoven had black blood in 'im? Read, Fish." (204)

Despite Fishbelly's rapid growth, his affluent family life prevents him from gaining an insight into racial oppression. He is not aware of corruption, let alone injustice, among the town officials, nor does he recognize that his father is a successful businessman only because he subserviently cooperates with powerful white people. What is worse, Tyree exploits black people by owning illicit establishments and rental property. It is Tyree who pampers Fishbelly and hinders him from becoming a man of honor and vision. Only the narrative voice suggests that black men like Tyree and Dr. Bruce are not really superior to their oppressors. Precocious though he is, Fishbelly has not yet grown up to be able to listen to such a voice.

In the middle of the story, Wright provides the ironic insight that corruption is the only common ground where black and white people can meet. Otherwise, they do not want to share their lives in any way, an observation which the young Wright made while growing up in the deep South. Throughout the novel, but especially in "Days and Nights ...," Wright takes pains to show that the white people who fear the social progress the black people will make if given a chance know that the only way to prevent it from happening is to keep them intimidated and poor. The authenticity of the racial views expressed in The Long Dream can be validated by Black Boy and Uncle Tom's Children, but the unique quality of Wright's discourse in The Long Dream involves his judicious treatment of white characters. While some black people such as Tyree and Dr. Bruce, the leaders of the black community, are not worth saving, some of the white people are morally superior. McWilliams, a white lawyer, for example, is a staunch supporter of human values, the pillar of fairness and decency for Clintonville. Fighting against any form of injustice and exploitation, he opposes prostitution whether its victims are black or white. It is understandable that his defense of Tyree's interest is half-hearted and thus unsuccessful. Despite a moral weakness on his part, Tyree tries to defend his position:

"But the white man took the bribes," Tyree argued. "There ain't no law but white law.... You say it's against the law to take bribes, but the white man takes 'em."

"And now you don't want the white man to squeeze your money out of you?" McWilliams asked.

"Why should only we suffer and go to jail?" Dr. Bruce asked.

"That's a fair question," McWilliams said, nodding. "But don't you realize that you were wrong in what you did?"

"There was nothing else to do," Tyree spoke testily.

"That's no defense in a court of law," McWilliams told him. (288-89)