This book explores the work of this groundbreaking author, and places his body of work in the canon of American literature - the literature of identity and literature of protest. The volume discusses the critical reception of Wright's work at the time of publication and examines its enduring appeal. The volume also explores Wright's relationships with other literary and creative forces such as Langston Hughes and Ralph Ellison, his attraction to Communism in the 1950s, and his self-imposed exile in France.