The White Snow A Literary Analysis Of Native Son

The White Snow: A Literary Critical Look at Native Son

“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn 't matter which color does the hating. It 's just plain wrong.” Muhammed Ali embodies the opposition to racism in American society by exposing its invalidity. In Native Son, a novel written by Richard Wright, Bigger Thomas, a black youth from South Side Chicago, must survive in a white dominated, American society. He explores options to seize his environment, which is done through violence and defiance in every position. From the very beginning of Native Son, Bigger Thomas’s actions and thoughts convey a sense of alienation and limitation. The title of Wright’s novel suggests that Bigger is a son of the United States of

The structure of the novel is very important as each section gives a detailed view on just how powerful Whites can be in African American’s lives, in every part of it. Bigger’s tenure is divided into three parts: Fear, Flight, and Fate. Each section complies with his progression from a young black man who hates society, to a hated killer who is hunted by all of Chicago, and ending as a convicted murderer who has been condemned to

Mary forces Bigger to skip the lecture and pick up her communist boyfriend, Jan Erlone,who was also shown in the newsreel. Mary and Jan terrorize Bigger with their oblivion to social codes between Blacks and Whites making him call them by name and forcing him to eat alongside them at a South Side restaurant. Bigger feels ““cut-dead” by his social environment.” The attempted friendliness by Jan and Mary only “exacerbate and intensify Bigger’s sense of shame, fear, and hatred” (Skerrett, Jr. 135). They attempt to treat Bigger as equal, but only make Bigger more ashamed of the black color of his skin. As Mary’s night comes to an end, she is very drunk and Bigger must carry her up to her room. Bigger, also very intoxicated, begins to make out with Mary. “This is a murder that would not have happened had Bigger not perceived himself in imminent danger when caught in a white woman’s room” (Guttman 75). The alienation of Blacks by the white community has produced a rule; sexual separation of black men and white women, which Bigger is currently breaking. Suddenly, Mrs. Dalton walks in, but is unable to see anything because she is blind. Mary attempts to speak out, but in fear of repercussions Bigger begins to push a pillow on her face, in effort to keep her quiet. The lack of air eventually suffocates Mary leaving Bigger with a