This is the shortened, anthologized version of this Richard Wright title, not the recently released (2021) novel. Having said that, it is still a very powerful story. An innocent man, tortured by police into confessing to murder, escapes and takes refuge in the sewers and basements of an unnamed city. As he struggles for survival, uncertainty and sensory deprivation cause him to lose touch with reality. He comes to believe that all men are inherently evil and, unable to go on, decides to face his guilt by handing himself in. Themes: guilt vs. innocence, isolation, identity, racism, police brutality.
Original Text / PDF (20,550 words)