Uncle Tom

His Uncle Tom takes something he said the wrong way and goes to beat him for it. Wright doesn't understand what he said that was so wrong. He is angry because he feels that his Uncle Tom has no right to beat him. Tom has had no say in how Wright was brought up, has not cared for him before and is basically just a stranger to him. What happens is similar to what Wright said before, in chapter 1 I think, that 'only a father has the right to beat a child'. He doesn't know Tom, doesn't think Tom cares for him and doesn't like Tom and so refuses to be taught how to behave from someone he doesn't even know, for something he doesn't think is even an issue.