Slaughtered by Stereotypes How would the lives of the oppressed and the oppressors change if we did not define people through stereotypes? Readers are able to examine this question in Richard Wright’s Native Son. Bigger Thomas, the protagonist of the novel, is guilty of the murders of Mary Dalton, the daughter of a wealthy couple living in Chicago, and Bessie, his girlfriend. Bigger works for the Dalton family as a driver and lives in a cramped apartment with his family in the Black Belt of Chicago. Initially, Bigger is not a prime suspect of the murders because racist stereotypes lead people to believe that he is not clever enough to pull off such a plan because he is black. These negative generalizations towards Bigger and others of the
…show more content…
This change in Bigger is initiated through meeting his lawyer, Max. Prior to speaking with Max, Bigger does not share his experiences and feelings with anyone. When he shares these with Max, he gains a “new sense of the value of himself.” (361). Bigger had always accepted the stereotypes about black Chicagoans as true. Talking with Max allows him to see that he is not a stereotype. He is a human being, with a unique character. As Bigger is no longer reducing himself to a racial stereotype, he no longer reduces others to equally false stereotypes. In his speech to the court, Max attempts to make the same change in others. He calls for an end to defining people solely by their race or actions. “The central fact to be understood here is not who wronged this boy, but what kind of vision of the world did he have before his eyes,” Max preaches, emphasizing the need for an end to prejudice. While not all in the court responded to Max’s message, Bigger takes his words to heart, liberating himself and others from destructive beliefs about race. Bigger refrains from putting himself on a lower level and seeing those of the opposite race as authority figures. When Bigger is saying his last goodbyes in prison, he pleads with Max to “tell…Tell Mister…Tell Jan hello…” (430). Recognizing the humanity in Jan, Bigger is able to see their similarities, eliminating the title of “Mister” from Jan’s name. While Bigger is not able to be saved, his frustrations come to an end when he practices what Max
This change in Bigger is initiated through meeting his lawyer, Max. Prior to speaking with Max, Bigger does not share his experiences and feelings with anyone. When he shares these with Max, he gains a “new sense of the value of himself.” (361). Bigger had always accepted the stereotypes about black Chicagoans as true. Talking with Max allows him to see that he is not a stereotype. He is a human being, with a unique character. As Bigger is no longer reducing himself to a racial stereotype, he no longer reduces others to equally false stereotypes. In his speech to the court, Max attempts to make the same change in others. He calls for an end to defining people solely by their race or actions. “The central fact to be understood here is not who wronged this boy, but what kind of vision of the world did he have before his eyes,” Max preaches, emphasizing the need for an end to prejudice. While not all in the court responded to Max’s message, Bigger takes his words to heart, liberating himself and others from destructive beliefs about race. Bigger refrains from putting himself on a lower level and seeing those of the opposite race as authority figures. When Bigger is saying his last goodbyes in prison, he pleads with Max to “tell…Tell Mister…Tell Jan hello…” (430). Recognizing the humanity in Jan, Bigger is able to see their similarities, eliminating the title of “Mister” from Jan’s name. While Bigger is not able to be saved, his frustrations come to an end when he practices what Max