"Native Son"

Paper Summary:

In Richard Wright's "Native Son", the character of Bigger is at times both a victim and a sacrificial figure. The paper shows that the horrible events of his life are shaped by the hopelessness and racism of his environment. The paper examines how Wright manages to create a form of compassion for Bigger, a man whose life was largely predetermined by his environment. Eventually, Bigger realizes that a violent attack against white society was the only option available to him, in the overwhelming despair and hopelessness of the inner city.

From the Paper:

"Wright is careful to craft the story so the events of Bigger's life seem almost out of Bigger's control. Bigger Thomas is trapped by the frustration and poverty of his life. Bigger grows up in a society of racism and hopelessness, and ultimately becomes a product of this environment. As Bigger looks back over the course of his life, he eventually decides that lashing out violently against white society was the only possibility that was open to him. Bigger's attorney clearly reflects this belief in his closing statement, where he notes of Bigger, "It was the first full act of his life; it was the most meaningful, exciting and stirring thing that had ever happened to him. He accepted it because it made him free, gave him the possibility of choice, of action, the opportunity to act and to feel that his actions carried weight" (Wright)."

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