SOURCE: Singh, Raman K. “Marxism in Richard Wright's Fiction.” Indian Journal of American Studies 4, nos. 1-2 (1974): 21-35.

In the following essay, Singh examines Richard Wright's works in the context of his Marxist leanings.

Marxism may be said to be the chief ideological influence on Richard Wright. From the early stories in Uncle Tom's Children (written in the thirties) to The Outsider (1953), the impact of Marxist thought is felt in one way or another. Even though Wright left the Communist Party, he continued to be influenced by the general precepts of Marxism; a study of Wright's selected fiction shows that he often used Marxism to shape the major themes.

I have divided Wright's fiction into three broad categories; these categories are not illustrative of any real progression of thought in Wright but rather indicate the various Marxist elements that he used. The three categories are: 1. Class, Caste, and Capitalism...