"Native Son": The Paradoxical Symbol

Paper Summary:

The paper shows that the symbols of dark and light in Richard Wright's "Native Son" represent both good and bad elements in the book. It discusses how these motifs are hurtful and beneficial simultaneously throughout the novel. It shows, too, how these symbols refer to objects, feelings, people, culture and society.

From the Paper:

"The light and dark motifs in the novel Native Son, by Richard Wright, are ambivalent and complex. These symbols have both good and bad elements. On the one hand, Bigger Thomas hates what whites have made of his dark skin; he is conditioned to see his blackness in a negative manner. However, he loves the darkness when it offers protection from what whites have caused in Bigger's home, community, and life. The light symbols in this novel represent a sense of power. The whites, in Native Son, are considered to be superior based on the light color of their skin. Light also represents a lack of knowledge of the whites about black society and culture."

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