Native Son

This was quite possibly the most powerful novel I have ever read. The story of Bigger Thomas, a black young man who is convicted and sentenced to death in the 1940s for the rape and murder of a wealthy white girl, this book struck a chord with me. From the very beginning you feel Bigger's warped outlook on life. It is obviously difficult for me to fully understand because A) I'm white and B) I've grown up in the new millennium, where racism is certainly not as prevalent. However reading about Bigger's every day hardships is enough to bring any sane person to their knees.

Just to survive, Bigger and his friends try to rob little convenience stores in the area. He is unemployed, and his family's welfare is running up. While they do not end up going through with the small scale heist, it is an intense testament as to the true nature of survival of the fittest, especially during the time period in the south side of Chicago. A particularly moving scene from this series of events takes place in the pool hall where Bigger and his friends hang out. Bigger nearly kills one of his best friends because his friend shows the worst emotion a black man can show at the time: fear. Constantly throughout the book, Richard Wright comes back to this theme of fear. It is the natural instinct in which black men buried themselves during the time. Fear ranged across all topics: Where was the next meal going to come from? How is my family going to survive? How am I going to pay this rent which is twice as expensive as a comparable flat on the "white" side of town? Men lived in constant fear as they tried to piece together the everyday issues of life.

Bigger's fear is amplified when he murders the daughter of the wealthy man who has recently hired him as a chauffeur. It is not out of malice that he kills her, he accidentally smothers her while she is trying to cause a drunken ruckus. He kills her and tries to cover it up. When his lie is unearthed he takes flight. I believe that Wright meant for this idea of fleeing to be another important theme. As a black man, he does not necessarily have the option of explaining what happened. In fact, when he is eventually convicted, he is convicted of rape. Not only did he not rape her, but there was not even a shred of evidence to support the notion that he did. It is this inevitable, inescapable fate that leads Bigger to running for his life.

But to no avail. Eventually he is caught, tried, and convicted. The book ends in the waning moments of his life, as he finally realizes that he is okay with it. Something drove him to kill Mary, something that was out of his control. He does not blame society, as he well could, and he does not feel that he is innocent. He accepts what's coming and recognizes that it is his fate.

Bigger Thomas represents every social issue in the United States... And how regardless of the stance, issue, or current situation, someone will feel repressed or wronged. The hard thing is adjusting these issues so that a happy medium is achieved.. So that all people, regardless of association, can feel free.