Native Son Research Paper

Richard Wright, wrote the fictional novel Native Son, using three intellectual forces, which include: Naturalism, Existentialism, and Communism. He uses these forces, along with racist ideology, to shape the life of a young black male, Bigger, living in the ‘Black Belt’ of Chicago in the 1940’s. Wright refers to the ‘Black Belt,’ as a ‘black world’ where violence is directed towards other American Americans, and warns that this violence will be aimed at white people. Bigger, is used to depict the criminal actions that come along with living in racial confinement under the fear of white people during this time.

Discrimination has afflicted the American society since its inception in 1776. The inferiority of the African American race – a notion embedded within the mindset of the white populace has difficult to eradicate – despite the efforts of civil rights activists and lawmakers alike. Many individuals are of the opinion that discrimination and racism no longer exist and that these issues have long since been resolved during the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. However such is not the case. Discrimination is a complex issue – one that encompasses many aspects of society. The impact of discrimination of the African American race is addressed from two diverse perspectives in the essays: “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King .

It illuminated a shooting victim who became a martyr for divisive race relations. It turned a victim of sexual assault into a symbol that called for justice. It made an example of two men by allowing them hang through the night of August 7th, 1930. Thanks to Hall’s premise regarding lynchings, scholars can better contextualize lynchings in America as neither random occurrences nor as completely premeditated events, but specific, targeted events coordinated by white communities to convey appropriate notions of gender and race. Many of the bystanders and rioters who were present that night resumed their lives as they did before. They were able to do so because the Marion lynching was not an outlier. It was not a flagrant response to an egregious crime. It was exactly what people expected each other to do, and for many, that night confirmed what they believed about justice, sexual assault, and interracial crime. Once an unspoken rule, the lynching made these things clear for everyone who lived in Marion. The law enforcement can only promise justice. The mob is always available to make it

There have been many cases of social injustice on a number of occasions in the expansive history of the United States. The oppressions of the early movements for women’s suffrage and the relocation and encampment of Native Americans are two of many occurrences. Around the middle of the 20th century, a movement for equality and civil liberties for African Americans among citizens began. In this essay, Notes of a Native son James Baldwin, a black man living in this time, recalls experiences from within the heart of said movement. Baldwin conveys a sense of immediacy throughout his passage by making his writing approachable and estimating an enormous amount of ethos.

Since the 15th century they have been here. They have been treated horrifically and have endured much pain and suffering. Without them America as we know it would not exist. The history of America is the struggle of African Americans. In Native Son by Richard Wright, the ideals of systemic racism come into fruition. Institutionally and systematically, African American males have been victims of racism and discrimination in society because of their skin color.

Throughout history, great authors have served as sentinels for racism and prejudice in American society. The Mark Twain novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a graphic story of 1840s America that depicts the plight of an uneducated black slave named Jim moved many to empathize with African-Americans. Compassion against the evils of slavery soon spread across the country. A war-torn America abolished slavery in 1865. However, Richard Wright’s 1940 novel, Native Son, a compelling story of the life and death of another black man, Bigger Thomas, makes a convincing argument that slavery in America was still very much alive during that period. Civil rights legislation

He was made to deal with this horror in one of two ways, either to keep his head down and comply with the unfair treatment he received, or to fight back, and rebel against the society’s intentions for him. He accepted an array of abuse, ranging from humiliation to the threat of physical violence, and although it took its toll Wright kept quiet. However, in any area of his life where he could get away with it, Wright subverted the authoritative rule, with theft, disobedience, or the pursuit of forbidden education, in order to combat brutality he faced. Cleary, Black Boy tells us important lessons about the American past, in terms of racism, and how its remnants continue today. But, equally importantly, it helps understand the role an individual in society can play in bringing about change.

Native Son, written by Richard Wright is about an African American boy named Bigger, who’s living in Chicago on the South Side. Bigger’s family is poor. He has a hard time with life. He’s trying to protect himself. Native Son is believable because of how descriptive situations can get.

This quote makes me think about the time that my English college professor at SAC had us read Native Son, by Richard Wright. Our professor would go over the reading with us in class and ask students how the book related to their lives. These discussions actually got me more interested in the book and now Native Son is my favorite book. I think that all teachers should try to have the students connect some way to the reading because that would make the reading even more enjoyable.

If Wright were writing an autobiography “Black Boy” in today's present society about a Black Boy Growing up in the United States he would write about , Police Brutality , the first Black President, and Cultural Appropriation. As we see in today’s news and social media, there’s been a positive out roar of success for young afro americans, but also sadly the misuse of power of authorities.

In the novel Native Son by Richard Wright,He addressed the racial separation and ill treatment of African Americans in the Black Belt. Bigger Thomas the main protagonist lived within the oppressed region of Chicago with his mother,brother and sister. Things changed for the worst when he murdered Mr.Dalton’s daughter and became the target of a manhunt. He used the theme naturalism to show America the other side of the curtain of social indifference, racial identification and trepidation of the common mind. Native Son taped into the situation most black’s faced within the black belt providence such as poverty and racial depiction.

While at his inquest Bigger relates that, “To those who wanted to kill him he was not human, not included in that picture of Creation” and in order to finally be able to live he, “Created a new world for himself”(Wright 264). For Bigger to have had to kill Mary, a privileged white girl, in order to finally feel like he was finally living illustrates the immense oppression that the African American community had to deal with. Is it right to condemn someone for their actions when they were never given the opportunity to act otherwise? Despite the fact that powerful white men were the one who put blacks down, Keli Rowley the author of the essay “Constructions of Race in Richard Wright‘s Native Son” argues that these men took a “constant accusatory nature” towards the black communities hardships (Rowley 4). Meaning that they would say that African American’s misfortunes were altogether their faults.

In 20th Century African-American Literature, the students were instructed to write a critical analysis on one of five texts reviewed throughout the course. This paper will provide an analytical approach on the concept of race and identity as reflected in, Richard Wright’s, Native Son. Bigger Thomas’ instinct for survival plays a key role for the reasons behind his actions in this novel. Was it mere survival instinct that jolted Bigger to murder? Or did he, as he mentioned— “kill for something”? Whether the instinct was survival or “for something”, Bigger was driven to murder and showed little regret for his actions.

In the mid-1800’s blacks legally got freedom and equality under the law, but some argue that they are still not treated equally today. In the book, Native Son, Richard Wright shows the racism and unequal treatment towards blacks in the city of Chicago. Bigger gets a job being a chauffeur for a white family. The job only lasts a few hours because he completes murderous actions toward their daughter, Mary Dalton. As Bigger goes through trial, Mr. Max learns a lot about Bigger and how life led him to his actions. Mr. Max opens the eyes of readers by explaining how the horrible treatment towards blacks impacts them more physically and emotionally than you can see by just looking at someone. The United States does not live up to the promise of “liberty and justice for all” because whites accuse blacks for terrible things without any evidence, blacks pay higher rent for the same apartments, and blacks are segregated from certain schools and jobs.

In the book Devil in the Grove, Gilbert King writes about the case of the Groveland Four and the incredible career of Thorogood Marshall. This book is a broad sweep of the unbelievable struggle against racism and the fight for civil rights in the Jim Crowe south. The case of the Groveland Four shows how the social climate of the South allowed a racist Sheriff and other people in power to intimidate, imprison and even lynch innocent black people. It took only an unsubstantiated claim of one white woman to effectively end the lives of four black men and effect the safety of a whole community.