how did his intelligence help him or hurt him?

On the whole his intelligence emancipates him from his poverty and a life of relative ignorance. Richard is the victim of his own hunger, both physically and intellectually. His ability to write and yearning for an education separate him from his peers, and Richard sense an isolation from the entire black community.That is tough but his intelligence also saves him.  Maturing into an adult, Richard becomes aware of the social situation in the South and realizes that he must leave the South to achieve his goal of becoming a writer. He leaves for Chicago and becomes an active member in the Communist Party, where he learns that ignorance is not limited to race. In the end, Richard learns to rely on the power of the written word.