Uncle Tom

One morning Wright wakes up to his uncle asking him what time it is. He looks at his watch and gives his uncle the time, but his uncle isn't sure of his answer and asks him again. Wright doesn't want to deal with him or look at his watch again and tells him, "If it's a little slow or fast, it's not far wrong." His uncle becomes angry because of what Wright said to him. Wright responds again in a way that angers his uncle and his uncle tells him, "I never heard a sassier black imp that you in all my life." Wright doesn't like the way his uncle is treating him and talks back. Wright sees nothing wrong with what he's said because he speaks the same way other people. The two get into a big argument and Uncle Tom threatens to beat Wright. When Uncle Toms moves toward Wright to beat him, Wright fights him off with razors. Wright is upset with Uncle Tom because he thinks he has no right to beat or control him because Uncle Tom was never a big part of his life. He sees nothing wrong with what he has done to deserve a punishment from a man who has no right to do so. Also, Uncle Tom tells him that he'll "never amount to anything" and "end up on the gallows".