Big Boy Leaves Home

Wright’s choice of “Big Boy” as his protagonist’s name and his reluctance to describe his appearance or background in much detail suggests that the narrative is an allegory. An allegory is a story in which the plot can be interpreted symbolically in order to communicate a moral or political message. From this perspective, Big Boy may stand for all Black adolescents forced to grow up in the Jim Crow South. From another perspective, he may represent the state of all African Americans more generally as they move from experiencing subjection toward resisting their oppression. He is a “big boy” but not yet fully developed. With this, Big Boy’s willingness to lash out in self-defense represents a first step in developing a critical consciousness that can lead Black people to fight back and gain equal rights.

“Big Boy Leaves Home” is filled with allusions—or implicit references—to Southern folk culture, from gospel songs such as “This Train Is Bound for Glory” to folk heroes like Casey Jones. These allusions are filled with symbolism and foreshadowing. In the case of Casey Jones,