Why is Wright Hungry?

Wright is hungry because he doesn't have any food. But aside from that, Wright is emotionally hungry for several reasons. For one thing, he lacks a father figure, and this causes him to be "hungry" as it were. He ends up seeking out the companionship of people in the saloon due to the fact that he lacks adult companionship in the form of a father figure. The people in the saloon are hardly good role models, but Wright latches on to them due to the fact that his mother is gone most of the time, and his father is notably absent from his life. In addition to this, Wright is hungry for knowledge. He is originally apprehensive about going to school, and once there he is intimidated by the knowledge possessed by his peers. In spite of this, or maybe even because of it, Wright ends up going home excited at the end of the day, relishing the prospect of gaining so much new knowledge. An example of Wright's thirst for knowledge can be found when the man comes to replenish the family's coal supplies. The man ends up teaching Wright to count, and Wright is ecstatic with his new knowledge. He revels in his knew ability to count things, and it serves to broaden Wright's outlook about the world in which he lives.