Literature has been around for as early as 2000 BC and has been evolving since then. The beginning of literature consisted of entertaining an audience. The main purpose of the literary works of authors was to determine the most successful way to entertain their audience and by doing so they came up with fictional stories. As time progressed, literature started to change. Authors no longer sought to entertain their audience, but wanted to express their ideas and opinions instead. The change in literature did not stop there, time continued and times changed. The ability to express your voice now depended on the color of your skin. Dark colored skin was looked down on consequently, their voices were often suppressed. The abolishment of slavery
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Wright wrote one of his famous novels, Native Son, in 1940. The accomplishment impacted American culture greatly. The era before the 1940s consisted of literature that was easily banned. The lack of controversial novels and the banning of books were due to the strained relationship between African Americans and white Americans. African Americans were looked down upon and were expected to not accomplish anything major within their lifetime. Richard Wright came and broke the expectations for African Americans and succeeded in publishing his controversial novel Native Son. Native Son was a novel that “confront[ed] issues central to African American identity and the identity of the American people at large” (Phipps). The novel gives a voice to the suppressed African Americans. Richard Wright put what he believed was the popular opinion of the African Americans. Wright did this through the court trial of the main character of the book, Bigger Thomas. Wright used the character Max to make what he attempted to do more obvious,”‘ Multiply Bigger Thomas twelve million times... and you have the psychology of the Negro people’" (Phipps). The character Max is used to state that if Bigger Thomas’ case is analyzed, the reader will come to the conclusion that it would represent the case of any African American, and just because of the color of their skin. Wright demonstrated that people like him deserved to be treated equally and that something irrelevant like skin color should not affect the people’s daily lives. The message that Wright tried to spread was a success. Wright captured the attention of Americans through his writing and he opened the minds of people, which made them realize that they were not treating each other
Wright wrote one of his famous novels, Native Son, in 1940. The accomplishment impacted American culture greatly. The era before the 1940s consisted of literature that was easily banned. The lack of controversial novels and the banning of books were due to the strained relationship between African Americans and white Americans. African Americans were looked down upon and were expected to not accomplish anything major within their lifetime. Richard Wright came and broke the expectations for African Americans and succeeded in publishing his controversial novel Native Son. Native Son was a novel that “confront[ed] issues central to African American identity and the identity of the American people at large” (Phipps). The novel gives a voice to the suppressed African Americans. Richard Wright put what he believed was the popular opinion of the African Americans. Wright did this through the court trial of the main character of the book, Bigger Thomas. Wright used the character Max to make what he attempted to do more obvious,”‘ Multiply Bigger Thomas twelve million times... and you have the psychology of the Negro people’" (Phipps). The character Max is used to state that if Bigger Thomas’ case is analyzed, the reader will come to the conclusion that it would represent the case of any African American, and just because of the color of their skin. Wright demonstrated that people like him deserved to be treated equally and that something irrelevant like skin color should not affect the people’s daily lives. The message that Wright tried to spread was a success. Wright captured the attention of Americans through his writing and he opened the minds of people, which made them realize that they were not treating each other