book

Killing for Freedom in Native Son

21 Pages 881 Words 1557 Views

Early in the novel Native Son, Richard Wright states "To Bigger and his kind, white people were not really people; they were sort of great natural force" (Wright 97). Wright embellishes and juxtaposes white people to a "great natural force  such as a god in order to display Bigger's oppressive mentality. The glorification of White Americans in Native Son initiates and obstructs Bigger Thomas' sense of purpose, responsibility, and soon his manhood. After Mary's disappearance, Bigger runs down a snow covered Chicago side street through what Wright symbolically characterizes as the hostile white world and realizes that a freedom, although somewhat fleeting, resides in the palm of his hands. During his initial getaway, he slips in the icy snow and then confronted by Jan who is quickly hurried off by Bigger and his gun (162). The gun in this way becomes Bigger's prime necessity in defending and separating himself from the white world, but he soon realizes that the gun gives him residing power over other white Americans, granting him a freedom that he has never experienced. Accompanied by the general act of killing, Bigger Thomas' sense of manhood and identity is instructed by the temporary freedom granted by his gun. Bigger Thomas is characterized in the earlier section of the novel as unambitious, purposeless, and lacking any responsibility. After killing a rat, Bigger's mother attempts to ready Bigger for his job interview with the Dalton's later that evening, however Bigger only responds with indifference. She laments Bigger as "crazy ¦plain dumb black crazy  (12) acknowledging that if he does not accept his job with the Daltons; his family will be cut from their government aid. She says to Bigger, "you the most no-countest man I ever seen in all my life  (12). When Bigger finally finds a chance to escape from his mother's lamentations, he must stop before he leaves and plainly tells his mother that he needs carfare. His mother,

Read Full Essay