News Aricle

Richard Wright has done it again! A young black man in Chicago life spins out of control and is full of hiding, hopelessness, and fear after he kills a young white women in a moment of panic. It eventually leads to more crime and a series of convictions. This is the story line of his new controversial book, "Native Son".  There is no other book in the history of African American literature quite like this that sends such a radical message. This book is controversial because it shows a BLACK man having enough courage to not only kill a white women, but try to get money for it by sending a letter to the girls rich father. Richard write creates a character, Bigger Thomas and shows the depiction in the first scene when Bigger kills a rat. Bigger wins the battle against a rat that terrorized his family and it made him feel power, just like when he kills Mary. Killing gives Bigger Thomas power and he no longer feels fear. But how long will that feeling last when he faces another battle and nearly looses his dignity. 

 

Chapter Analysis

No privacy, Hard life:Pg.4-6 

In the book one, part one: A lower class African American family cramped in a small apartment with no privacy. While the family is getting ready a violent rat disturbs them. Bigger a young black man and the main character fights the rat and is bitten in the process. But the family has a joyful relief when Bigger kills the rat.

Analysis:

To me this chapter represents the oppression and poverty this family is faced with everyday. The rat is a symbol of poverty, death , depression , and sadness. After Bigger kills the rat relief from the family shows that maybe they could live another day or even that things could get better.

Cover up Fight: pg. 36-41 

In this chapter we see Bigger in his daily interactions with his friends. We also see the kind of life he leads, him and friends were planning to rob a man as the always had done before. It was different this time, they were doing it on the "white side" of the neighborhood to a white man. But Bigger becomes angry with one of his friends because, the boy was a few minutes late. He starts a fight with him and than walks away from the whole situation. Even there plan to rob the white man.

Analysis: 

The fight seemed to be like a distraction for Bigger to get out of what they were about to do. I felt that Bigger was fearful of this particular robbery, because even though he had done this before it was never a white man outside of his neighborhood. So they fight could get him out of it without anybody calling him a punk. 

Confusion, pg. 62-79

  In this chapter Bigger Thomas has his first job with the Dalton's which is to take Mary to the university for a lecture.  When Bigger goes to take her he finds out that it was just a cover up story to go meet a boy, Jan.  They drive around and Jan asked to drive and he winds up driving. All three of them were cramped in the front seat and Bigger felt very uncomfortable because Mary body was close to his and touching him. He had never been that close to a white women before. They wind up going to get something to eat, and getting drunk. Bigger felt uncomfortable again because it was not often that a black man would eat with white people, let alone drink off the same beer bottle. After Dinner Bigger drives Jan and Mary around a park while they are in the back seat making out. Eventually Bigger drops Jan off and took Mary back home drunk.

Analysis: This chapter was to show the discrimination in Chicago during that time. Bigger Thomas was feeling very uncomfortable the whole time because Jan and Mary treated him different than any other White ever treated him. Jan extends his hand out to Bigger for a hand shake and bigger was reluctant because it was against the law for a white and black to shake hands. He was also uncomfortable in the car because Mary was so close to him that there bodies were touching and during this time it was unusual for a black man to touch a white woman in any way and not be accused of rape. Finally the incident at the restaurant were Mary and Jan asked Bigger to join them at dinner. Black and whites were not supposed to eat together in public places. Richard wrights purpose for this chapter was to use Biggers confusion about these situations to show what the discrimination was like in the 30's.