The Suffering of Native Americans in Native Son (1940) by...

Native Son (1940) by Richard Wright is by far the most captivating and practical novel I have read this semester. The novel does an exceptional job at illustrating the suffering of African Americans in the United States of America. Wright through his brilliant and graphic writing acknowledges the racial barriers that prevent the advancement of Blacks. Through his depiction of the novel’s protagonist Bigger Thomas, Wright indicates the frustration and chaos that might occur due to the isolation and defamation of people of color. He deliberately shows his readers the Black man’s struggle and the social oppression he faces in the country that claims to guarantee its citizens: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Bigger, who fights†¦show more content†¦The powerlessness of African Americans is displayed throughout the text and plays a vital role in Bigger’s monstrous transformation. For instance, Wright explains that Bigger â€Å"hated his fami ly because he knew that they were suffering and that he was powerless to help them. . .He knew that the moment he allowed what his life meant to enter fully into his consciousness, he would either kill himself or someone else† (25). Bigger’s inability to provide for his family creates feelings of hate. He hates his family because they are a constant reminder of his race and the social injustices being a Black man in America subjects him to. He attempts to suppress the reality of his suffering because he knows that acknowledging it would unleash â€Å"a Negro murderer, a black murderer†¦.an element which he reckoned with as ‘them† (89). Interestingly, Wright allows Bigger to become the â€Å"black murderer† Bigger fears will manifest. As a result, Bigger becomes a tragic product of his environment. Through Bigger’s transformation, Wright illustrates the negative effects racism has on its victims. Bigger initially predicts that  "something awful’s going to happen† (33) to him and later brutally murders a white woman. He decapitates Mary Dalton, and disposes of her body in a gruesome fashion. Mary made Bigger feel â€Å"his black skin by just standing there looking at him. . . He felt he had no physical existence at all right then; he was something heShow MoreRelated Contrasting Native Son and Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay4128 Words   |  17 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper examines the drastic differences in literary themes and styles of Richard Wright and Zora Neale Hurston, two African--American writers from the early 1900s. The portrayals of African-American women by each author are contrasted based on specific examples from their two most prominent novels, Native Son by Wright, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston. 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