Read the sections of Wright's autobiographical Black Boy that deal with his strict religious upbringing. To what extent do you think his own religious background influenced the church scenes in "The Man Who Lived Underground"?

Find some other short stories about racial, ethnic, or gender-based oppression. Do you think Wright demonstrates more or less anger in thIS story than the writers of the other stories you found? Explain.

Investigate the laws and policies that govern police officers as they carry out their duties, and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the 1966 Miranda v. Arizona case. How likely would a Fred Daniels of today be coerced to confess to a crime he had not committed?

"The Man Who Lived Underground" was written during the 1940s. Based on the evidence in the story and other things you can learn about that decade, do...