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's mother pressures him to take a job as a driver with Mr. Dalton, a wealthy white man, he almost decides not to in favor of a heist. Although he nearly takes the job that seems far more dangerous, in the end he decides to become the driver. Mr. Dalton seems to believe he is very generous to Bigger, even bragging about how their last driver went to night school and now has an even better job. Despite the fact that Bigger made the "correct" decision, he still ends up in trouble. When Mr. Daltons daughter Mary gets drunk, Bigger helps her to her room when a blind Mrs. Dalton comes in. Bigger knows that if he is discovered he will almost certainly be believed to have raped Mary, so in a moment of panic he accidentally smothers her to keep her quiet. Disregarding Bigger's unpleasant thoughts and actions after this event, the actual act of killing Mary is not truly his fault in any way. He is driven by his fear of being blamed for an action that people would have assumed he did merely because he is black. In many ways, this initial event is the fault of those who made Bigger feel this fear and obligation to protect himself.
Although Bigger Thomas is in no way an "innocent" protagonist, his actions are not completely of his own fault. All of his actions are rooted in the fear of being caught after the initial murder, and his chasing of the feeling of freedom he claims to have from his actions. Bigger already seems to begin his life at a disadvantage being too poor for a complete education, which automatically makes it far more difficult for him to obtain a good paying job. Not to mention, the only housing available to black people has very high rent. This puts Bigger in a position where one of his only viable options is thievery. Despite all of this, he obtains a job that is considered good for his position, but still immediately falls into misfortune. I believe Richard Wright wants readers to recognize the positions black people are put into and the helplessness many may feel. He intensifies this feeling by instilling a sense of foreboding into readers, even having Bigger himself say that he has always felt something bad would happen to him. Native Son tells the story of what it is to be a native to prejudice, and how that not only effects the life of that person, but the lives of those around them, including their oppressors.
Olive, I completely agree with your ideas about why Bigger was created. Your point that Bigger is definitely not an innocent character adds complexity to this idea about the sympathy that Wright tries to make us feel. I also really liked you explain the chain of events that lead to the events in Bigger's life and show that a lot of it is not really in his control but is the consequences of the system he is thrown into. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your explanation, summary, and interpretation of Native Son. Your concise summary really listed out all the important events, but also shed some light on what may be some of the root causes behind Bigger's actions. I think your look into Bigger's motivations, and the bigger picture of systemic racism in America having set Bigger up to his life's tragic events was very illuminating and really perfectly frames what much of the novel is about!
ReplyDeleteI think this blog post outlines the main thesis of Native Son expertly. Bigger's disadvantaged start, limited opportunities, and constant prejudices against him as a black man play a large role in his actions and thoughts, so while Richard Wright makes Bigger an imperfect character who commits terrible acts, he forces the reader to see society and oppression's hand in the creation and life of Bigger. I appreciate your in-depth descriptions of the novel's events and how they relate to the message Richard Wright wanted to convey. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHello. I completely agree that Richard Wright created Native Son to show how Black people are shaped by their negative experiences in life. I really enjoyed the format of your blog, with you first giving out historical context for Native Son, and then about what happens in the book, and then bringing it all together to create your argument in your conclusion. That made the post really easy to follow and more enjoyable to read. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Olive! I think this is a great blog post that highlights the key features and gives a deeper insight to Bigger Thomas' character. I like how you outlined the early events of the book as making sort of a blueprint for what was to come for Bigger and sadly the inevitable. In the second paragraph you make a great point on how Bigger killing Mary wasn't his fault but the fault of the systemic racism and the characters who played into that. Lastly, I like how you touch on the fact that Bigger is no innocent man, but is actions largely stem from being at a disadvantage all his life because of the color of his skin and his poverty. I think this blog post really highlighted the core issues of this novel, great job.
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