Coosa High School
Native Son
Brandon Ray
9 May 2016
Coach Hann
AP Literature
Native Son In Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son, several themes are implied. Ethnicity, power and its relation to white men shape the themes. The novel takes place in the middle of the twentieth century when prejudice was at an infuriating high for African Americans. The protagonist, Bigger Thomas, lives with his whole family in a one room apartment centered in the slums of Chicago’s South Side. The apartment is rat-infested and very close to being unfit for living quarters. The apartment is the only home depicted besides the Dalton’s luxurious mansion, which Bigger works in. The contrast between the two cultures create a feeling of helplessness and …show more content…
Every action or thought that Bigger entertains is mediated by his skin color. He unconsciously realizes everything that the whites control and the effect that it has on what he does. The tension between the races is mainly because of generalizations made by both sides. The whites see black culture as trouble and disregard them as if they are a hopeless cause providing only enough for them to live off of. The stereotypes are near impossible to break because the children before grew up generation after generation believing the whites were out to get them. In the first book, Bigger and Gus “play white.” They talk of important meetings and portray the white neglecting them as if nothing is important. Bigger then says “Well, you see, the niggers is raising sand all over the country,” and Gus replies “Oh, if it’s about the niggers, I’ll be right there, Mr. President.” The scenario shows how the young believed that whites did not take serious action unless it was in regards to keeping them suppressed. This portrayal reveals that Gus and Bigger were never given a reason to accept white men, whether it was a bad experience or a tendency picked up from others. Once Bigger becomes a chauffeur for a wealthy white family, he realizes that they are not as bad as he expected. The culture was completely different, but they were respectful and trustworthy of him. Bigger realizes that he may have been more racist than the white family. The only other racist character was Mr. Britten, who was a hired private investigator after Mary was smothered. He automatically assumed Bigger committed the crime without any
Native Son
Brandon Ray
9 May 2016
Coach Hann
AP Literature
Native Son In Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son, several themes are implied. Ethnicity, power and its relation to white men shape the themes. The novel takes place in the middle of the twentieth century when prejudice was at an infuriating high for African Americans. The protagonist, Bigger Thomas, lives with his whole family in a one room apartment centered in the slums of Chicago’s South Side. The apartment is rat-infested and very close to being unfit for living quarters. The apartment is the only home depicted besides the Dalton’s luxurious mansion, which Bigger works in. The contrast between the two cultures create a feeling of helplessness and …show more content…
Every action or thought that Bigger entertains is mediated by his skin color. He unconsciously realizes everything that the whites control and the effect that it has on what he does. The tension between the races is mainly because of generalizations made by both sides. The whites see black culture as trouble and disregard them as if they are a hopeless cause providing only enough for them to live off of. The stereotypes are near impossible to break because the children before grew up generation after generation believing the whites were out to get them. In the first book, Bigger and Gus “play white.” They talk of important meetings and portray the white neglecting them as if nothing is important. Bigger then says “Well, you see, the niggers is raising sand all over the country,” and Gus replies “Oh, if it’s about the niggers, I’ll be right there, Mr. President.” The scenario shows how the young believed that whites did not take serious action unless it was in regards to keeping them suppressed. This portrayal reveals that Gus and Bigger were never given a reason to accept white men, whether it was a bad experience or a tendency picked up from others. Once Bigger becomes a chauffeur for a wealthy white family, he realizes that they are not as bad as he expected. The culture was completely different, but they were respectful and trustworthy of him. Bigger realizes that he may have been more racist than the white family. The only other racist character was Mr. Britten, who was a hired private investigator after Mary was smothered. He automatically assumed Bigger committed the crime without any