"Native Son"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Richard Wright's novel, "Native Son", is a slice of American history. It looks at how Wright makes several statements about the African-American experience through dynamic characters and situations. The paper relates that by employing the techniques of realistic details and connotative diction, Wright successfully demonstrates what life might have been like for blacks in America, specifically in the city of Chicago, during the 1930s. The paper analyzes how it reveals the hopelessness of the inner city life as well as describes the plight of one man who becomes a victim of that kind of life. The paper also explains how Wright exposes the fear, flight and fate of Bigger Thomas through racial tensions and an increased black consciousness and how through connotative diction and specific attention to detail, Wright is able to paint a picture of a young man who never really has an honest chance to compete or survive.

From the Paper:

"As a result of the Depression, the government offered public assistance commonly referred to as "relief" to those in need. Native Son also illustrates the existence of the relief, through which Bigger found his job. Relief is not shown in a very positive light, as Bigger was not so thrilled about the job relief found for him. In fact, he confesses to jack that he "would rather go to jail than take that damn relief job" (Wright 32). This is further illustrated after Bigger gets the job and his family is curious about it and he would rather not talk about it at all. (98-99) Bigger's negative reaction toward the job and the system itself can be seen as another way the white man kept the black man down. By having some of the characters in Native Son view the relief program as a positive thing and Bigger see it as a negative thing, Wright is, however, injecting mixed feelings on the subject."

More papers on "Native Son":

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• Analytical Essay # 9006 : "Native Son": The Paradoxical Symbol"

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