The Native Son

The Native Son

The novel, Native Son, by Richard Wright deals with a lot of themes all surrounding the protagonist, Bigger. Wright wants to show that, considering the conditions of Bigger's existence, his violent personality and his criminal behavior are not surprising. Bigger wants to feel like a human being with a free, independent will. His overwhelming sense of fear arises from his lack of power feeling in the face of an unnamed, hovering doom. Bigger’s crime is an act of rebellion, an affirmation of his independent will to act against the voice of social authority. Violence and crime are the only things Bigger feels he can use to declare his individual will as a human being. Two of the themes in the novel, deals with Richard Wright’s criticisms and the blindness of Jan and Mary.

The social institutions described by Wright in the novel were very detailed. During the 1930’s, a symbolic code that was very common on black servants was one who was humble, clownish and ignorant. This helped elevate the whites rage, and boost the propagated images of black Americans. The newsreel depicted the entertainments and scandals of the ultra-rich. This newsreel was followed by a movie that portrayed black people as exotic, primitive savages. Together, these two films reflected an exaggerated portrait of racist symbolic codes. White society has control over the social dilogue that determines the meaning of the color of Bigger's skin and identity. "Blackness" is portayed as dangerous, savage, and inferior to "whiteness."

The judicial system was also criticized in their rulings against Bigger. They didn’t seem to give much thought of Max’s speech. They still did what society wanted and found him guilty. Richard Wright criticizes the courts for being one-sided on every case that involves a “colored man.”

In the middle of the second book, the press were so interested in Bigger to help with discrediting Jan and the Communist Party. They are delighted to hear that Bigger didn't want to eat with Jan and Mary at Ernie's. They wanted to print an article using Bigger to "prove" that the "primitive Negro" doesn't want to be "disturbed by white civilization.” Though they are the ones being fooled by Bigger’s role playing in which he can use to protect himself, due to their racism.

Mr. Dalton’s real estate company charges homeowners in the black belt, an exhorborant amount for run down.