Oppression In Native Son

Racism has been around for centuries and is a result of European imperialism and colonialism starting as early as the fifteenth century. Since that time racism has changed very little. While racism today is less vigorous than it may have been during the colonial days, it is still a violent issue plaguing the world today. It is easy to see how many minorities have been attacked and oppressed due to racism all over the world, but there are two sides to the coin on which racism lies. The oppressors face current events and a history that are preventing them from unifying with the oppressed, even if the oppressors want to. Over time racism has been ingrained into society and has led to barriers preventing a truly interconnected world. Minorities

Throughout history racism has had many faces and damaged the lives of many people. Such historical events as the American Civil War, and Hitler’s rise before WWII, demonstrate how oppression has crippled and tarnished society at all levels. In the aforementioned events in history and in Richard Wright’s Native Son, racism is a vehicle that often leads to oppression. Because racism and bigotry gives both the oppressed and the oppressor a clouded worldview that leads to a discordant world, racism and bigotry must be abolished. Racism and America go hand in hand. Ever since the the English settled in Jamestown, and even before then, has racism been intertwined in American society. During the mid nineteenth century the issues of racism, slavery, and oppression came to the forefront of daily American life. One of

Even though Buckley is no where near as bigoted and racist as Hitler, he is still an oppressor of the masses. Buckley continuously makes statements to threaten and intimidate Bigger into submission by telling him that “those people would like to lynch you” “but the longer they stay around here, the harder it’ll be for us to handle them” (Wright 303). Buckley is referring to the angry mob outside of the prison where bigger is being held. He is trying to oppress even Bigger’s thoughts. By creating a swift trial for Bigger Buckley can garner support for the upcoming election. This will allow him to continue his oppression in the Illinois’ court system and allow for his bigoted actions to have a bigger impact and pollute society across his jurisdiction into blindly following him. Buckley uses his power to oppress and squash all those who oppose his views and to benefit his own agenda. This can be seen not only through his actions and attitude towards Bigger, but towards other characters such as Jan. At Bigger’s inquest Jan was questioned and Buckley asks Jan several questions that had “no earthly relation to the cause and manner of the death of the deceased” (Wright 319). Buckley is using his questioning to tarnish and slander the growing Communist party of the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. Buckley is a perfect example of the knowing oppressive group