Throughout history, specifically during the civil rights movement, there have been many African American pieces of literature which highlight inequalities between races. Richard Wright (1908-1960) was an author who wrote various novels, one of which being Native Son , published in 1940. I believe Richard Wright wrote this story to highlight the way prejudice has shaped the lives of all black people, specifically in the United States. Native Son takes place in Chicago in the 1930s, focusing on 20 year old Bigger Thomas who lives on the South Side with his mother and two younger siblings. The story begins with the family waking up and immediately having to kill a rat in their home. This shows the types of conditions they are forced to live in due to their already high rent and low pay. From the very start, Bigger is at a disadvantage and one could argue that he is forced into thievery because it's one of his only options if he wants to help support his family. When Bigger