A thesis submitted in Partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree "Licence en Langue et literature anglaises"

Résumé,

This work examines the contribution of a write in his combat for equal rights, good working conditions and welfare of people in a given community (here, African-Americans) as reflected in Richard Wright's Black Boy. It is an attempt at describing the relationship that existed between black folks and the white race and the circumstances in which Black Boy was produced. This work further examines how education may emprower a writer or any person, how it gives him a position even in a degrading society and how it helps him to overcome the socio-political and economic problems. This work is built on the hypothesis that a writer's determinationand commitment are the key elements that empower him in his search for self-definition.

A writer is referred to as the eyes, the ears and spokesperson of a community. Written against New Historicism, this work, through the character of Richard wright who is the protagonist, reveals the limitations of a writer, his choices and the risks he may run after he has made this or that choice. It finally reminds us that a write may continue his work out of his country, if the conditions are not favourable inhis country as being a writer may go with persecution.