Essay On Nurture In Native Son

Richard Wright's Native Son provides us with an exemplary example of the way the black race was conditioned in the 1930's. He does this by telling us about an adult black male named Bigger Thomas. Wright titles each book in the novel the way he does to give insight into the various actions and feelings of Bigger.

In the eyes of everyone, Bigger’s actions are socially and morally wrong, no matter what he is and where he comes from. It all has to come down to the court. Unfortunately, Bigger lives in a world where he feels alienated to the place he belongs. Bigger did not fully admits his mistakes but it clearly appears he is somewhat regretful towards the end of the book. As readers, we are able to understand where he is coming from and his struggles and desperation to be part of this world considering his race and background. However, it is important to remind us readers that, even African-Americans were not treated as human beings. Bigger is describe in the book as “black ape”, not pertaining to what he have done previously in the chapter but evidently influenced by the environment. Understandably, it his responsibility to take full action of his mistakes but a death penalty won’t resolve anything, instead it makes it worse. Reminding us that the time period Bigger was in was when lynching was outrageously common. Surprisingly, a white young man, who is also a victim of Bigger comes to help him. Jan and Mary’s appearance to the novel demonstrates that they are not defined because of their colors, and they have their own agenda for African-American, which is considerably different form others with their own race. Although, Jan was used to avoid suspicions from Bigger, he still remains open-minded

In the turn of the century, the time of Bigger Thomas, the roles of black men and women in America were heavily restricted compared to the white population. Black people were also still treated unequally and dealt with as ignorant fools. Richard Wright 's novel, Native Son, embraces this knowledge and follows the reaction of one angry man as he manages the delights of his exploits and the consequences of his deeds. Challenging pressures and stereotypes, Bigger believes he understands the world and that he is completely in control, unperturbed by anything or anyone. Although he is blind to society in essence, Bigger is deeply influenced by his oppression, exemplified by his actions, escape, and eventual demise.

Bigger Thomas is the killer of two women: Mary Dalton, his employer’s daughter, and Bessie Mears, his Black girlfriend. Wright seems to project that Bigger’s violence is one of the effects of slavery, repression and oppression to which the Blacks were subjected in American life, society and history right from the beginning of the system of slavery. Through this novel, Richard Wright wants to show unjust White American society and Negro’s attitude towards this society and vice versa. Furthermore, Wright seems to project that although Bigger is a Black man, he is a “native son” of the United States. Wright added one more angle to Bigger’s violent acts by opining that Bigger would not have become a murderer if the White community had recognized his humanity. In this respect, James Baldwin

To understand Wright's message of proactive change in the African-American community, we can look at the creation of Bigger Thomas' psyche. He is a black male with limited education partly by choice and partly by situation. But it is

In Richard Wright’s Native Son, race is the main source of problems for Bigger Thomas. Bigger is an African American man who is distrustful of whites and regularly acts out in violence. The novel is set in the 1940’s when racism was considered a social norm. African Americans could live out their dreams or choose for themselves and this makes many of them angry. Whites expected them to commit crimes and were quick to accuse them of anything. So, due to poor treatment, perhaps the whites unknowingly conditioned the African Americans to act in the stereotypical way they viewed them. Had racism not been present these assumptions and crimes most likely would not have been committed. Many scholars have studied the effects of racism on its victim and found that it can cause a person to act in a way they may not have in a different situation. Racism can make a person feel small, unheard, and trapped. In the novel, the reader know that Bigger felt all of these things and that is probably why he did all the things he did. His hatred towards whites caused him to act violently, ultimately killing a young white woman. There were a few people in the novel, such as Mr. and Mrs. Dalton, Mary, and Jan, who were claiming to help African Americans try to overcome the issues they faced. Even though they claimed they were trying to help, overall they were part of the problem and in no way fixing it. If Richard Wright’s Native Son were to

The differences between whites and blacks throughout Biggers life allowed him to have a unique mindset about how he goes about doing things. Bigger Thomas may be an uneducated individual but he figured out just how the world acts to blacks when violence and crime are involved. “I swear to god I can’t. I know I oughtn’t think about it, but I can’t help it, Every time I think about it I feel like somebody’s poking a red-hot iron down my throat.

Native Son, a book written by Richard Wright is a novel that was written during the 1930’s where racism was at its’ highest peak. Wright focuses on the mistreatment and stereotypes of an African- American during this time and he explores that idea in his book throughout the main character, Bigger Thomas. Bigger Thomas, a twenty- year old African- American lives with his mother, and two siblings in a one-room apartment on the Southside of Chicago, with the ambition of becoming better, but yet knowing that that is not a selection for him to do. He is given the job of being a chauffeur for the Dalton family, discovering how uncomfortable it is to be near them, especially their daughter Mary Dalton, who tries to be friendly towards Bigger. This

The major genre of Native Son is a sociological novel, which is one that “concentrates on the nature, function, and effect of the society in which characters live” (Harmon 487). Throughout the plot, Wright depicts a segregated Chicago and demonstrates the innate social dominance of the whites over the black people. With this setting, Wright explores this social pyramid, showing the injustices towards the black race and the limits and boundaries placed on them as well. Wright especially demonstrates the effects of this racial hierarchy through the character of Bigger Thomas, who represents the potential reactions of the oppressed that can result from the prejudice society.

Bigger is immediately faced with the challenge of breaking a preset role, in which his behavior and interactions seem predetermined by the history of the race he was born into. In his author’s note, How Bigger Was Born, Wright explains his mission to demonstrate the tendency of a black man in the 1930s to “hover unwanted between two worlds-- between powerful America and his own stunted place in life” (Wright). Native Son immediately places the reader into this “No Man’s Land.” In the opening scene, Bigger traps a vicious black rat, demonstrating two important aspects of Bigger’s world. First, Bigger is immediately stereotyped as a vicious black man, and second, the way

The main point Wright focuses on in Native Son is that oppression creates psychological damage. This oppression alienates and limits African Americans in every aspect of their life, robbing them of a self-identity. This pushes them to resort to violence and defiance to feel like an individual who has purpose. This not only affects Bigger, but the entire black race. Ultimately, the racism of Whites stereotyped, limited, and alienated an entire race for centuries until individuals, like Bigger Thomas of South Side Chicago, removed their blindness and allowed them to see the irreversible damage they had

An example of this is when bigger thinks about robbing a store with friends to get money. Then Bigger and the gang noticed that the owner of the store was a white man and “they felt it was much easier and safer to rob their own people, for they knew that white policeman never really searched diligently for Negroes who committed crimes against other Negroes.” This shows how Bigger knew that the laws that govern those crimes are different than the ones that govern black against black crimes. It was different for whites and black’s during the 1930s but it was a certain thing that African Americans were always at fault if they were involved in any crime that they did not commit. Bigger takes that oppression and turns it into fear and shows that they should not oppress what the people do not now the power of. Bigger shows that he needs to be acknowledge and feared by murdering Mary the daughter of the rich white people he works for. After committing this crime, Bigger stated “for the first time in my fear-ridden life a barrier of protection between him and a world of fear.” Bigger feared of being killed for the murder of Mary but blamed the murdered on Jan a communist because “police were not yet satisfied with the account Erlone has given of himself and are of the conviction that he may be linked to the negro as an accomplice; they feel that the plan of the murder and

The time period that native son was set, greatly effected how bigger was treated. The pressure set by society at the time affected the way bigger thought of himself, the way he interacted with others, and ultimately his fate. Laws and segregation against blacks still prohibited blacks and whites from relationships of any sort. This caused a very large fear inside

Native Son written by Wright, is a book that's placed within the 1930’s, round the time that racism was most popular. Wright focuses on the mistreatment and also the ugly stereotypes that label the Black person in America. Bigger Thomas, the main character is a troubled young man trying to live up the expectations of his home and maintain his reputation in his neighborhood. Wright’s character is troubled with low self-worth and his lack of education is reflected in his behavior and surroundings. Bigger seems to have dreams of doing better and making something of his future, however is torn because he is constantly being pulled into his dangerous and hard lifestyle. Bigger is filled with fear and anger for whites as a result of racism which has restricted his choices in life and has pushed him and his family into poverty stricken communities with very little hope for change.The protagonist is ashamed of his family's’ dark situation and is afraid of the control whites have over his life. This can be seen being symbolized through the mysterious cat that the Dalton’s have yet to name. Throughout the history of writing, cats have symbolized craftiness, misfortune, deceit and death. Richard Wright creates no exception to this reputation while the interview for Bigger is going on. Bigger Thomas, a young, depressed black man, is placed in an awkward position when he is interviewed for a job with the Dalton's, a wealthy white family. Suspiciously, the Dalton's white cat, stares at

From the jump, we are faced with Bigger’s conflict of man vs. society by hating his family and living condition “...Because he knew they were suffering and he was powerless to help them.” He goes on to reveal how he and his friend group make a living through robbing other African Americans. At one point Bigger gets into a deliberate fight with Gus, a member of his gang, and disrupts the plan that was supposed to take place to rob a store who belongs to a white man named Blum. This is where the reader is introduced to Bigger’s conflict of man vs. race. Moreover the white race. Bigger goes as far as to play Gus for the weak link calling Gus out in front of the gang for the concerns and doubts they all secretly had. Bigger says on multiple occasions he is not afraid of a white man. Bigger and Gus even initially mock white people in the introduction humorously. As if mockery was a way to prove they weren’t intimidated. But thanks to the third person point of view, we understand they are all too afraid to actually stick to the plan of burglarizing Blum’s store. None of them however publically recognizes or admits that he, himself is afraid because Blum is white.