Who has the power to determine what is right?

Jones uses the word "right" in The Known World to show just how subjective the word can be in the context of societal norms.  He also uses it to comment on the flaws within the institution of slavery.

For example, when describing Elias and how he was making a doll for his daughter, Jones uses the word "right" two different ways in order to blur the lines between the stereotypically correct and direction. The first instance he uses "right" it is the proper kind of right: "He wanted the figure to be running but he had not been able to get the knee to bend just right" (8). The next time Jones uses right he uses it as a descriptor: "...But then the right leg of his own wife, Celeste, did not bend the way it should either...Elias left the doll's right leg alone and returned to the hall" (8).  When Jones uses right that third time, he then is sort of saying that even though the doll's leg is the right (as opposed to the left), and it is not technically a "proper" or "correct" leg, whatever that means, in a different way it is right, because it is in Elias' mind a replica of Celeste. By using the word right to mean different things in quick succession like this, one sort of gets the feeling that Elias does not even realize anymore that Celeste's crippled leg is not "right," is not "normal," and is just her personal right leg.

In addition to using the word "right" as a direction, Jones also uses it in order to comment on the institution of slavery, and how it is just so embedded in the culture of the American South.  Jones ends up explaining that in this novel's setting, white (which has the only might) equals right.  Whenever right is mentioned in the slavery/master-slave context, "doin' right" means keeping your head down and cooperating within the twisted unjust enslaving system.  When Henry leaves Moses to keep on building the house, he says " 'But I want you here doin right when I get back, doin good' " (124).  And then earlier when Robbins is describing one of his problems with a slave (named Sam) says " 'Once he learned right from wrong, he gave me good work' " (93), basically claiming that once his ear had been cut off and he had given up on resisting, Sam somehow knew what was morally right, what was "correct" for him to do.

The most blatant example of this white equals right mentality is Henry and his mindset.  When defending his slaveowning tendencies to his father, he claims " 'Papa, I ain't done nothin I ain't a right to.  I ain't done nothin no white man wouldn't do' " (138).