Native Son by Richard Wright

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Richard Wright’s novel Native Son is a compelling read that takes an unrelentingly realistic approach to race relations and the American Dream. The story revolves around the life of young, 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, who lives in utter poverty in 1930s Chicago. In the novel, Thomas learns that he has an innate sense of justice and ends up being the man of the year. In order to understand Bigger Thomas, however, we must understand his circumstances.

Richard Wright’s Native Son

Native Son by American author Richard Wright is a gripping and emotionally-charged novel about racism, class, and poverty. Set in 1930s Chicago, the novel follows the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, who lives in utter poverty. The novel is a powerfully moving tale of human dignity and the power of community. A must-read for fans of American fiction, Native Son is an important work of art.

An analysis of Richard Wright’s novel can reflect the author’s background and express a particular idea or feeling. The Native Son novel is an excellent example of an author’s perspective on racism and the United States, and many people would benefit from a literary analysis. But before we dive into analyzing Native Son, let’s look at the main elements of the novel. Its structure, point of view, and theme show how the author represents a particular idea or feeling.

Robert Ellison’s His Black Boy

The themes in Robert Ellison’s His Black Boy are both universal and deeply personal. As the narrator, the book takes on a philosophical tone that is at once reflective and thoughtful. Through characterization, the author develops a strong philosophy and portrays the narrator’s quest for identity and understanding of time. The book’s character development sets a solid foundation for the story.

Throughout the book, we follow Richard Wright’s experiences in the Jim Crow South, a system that treated black people as second-class citizens in certain parts of the U.S. It’s easy to imagine the hardships of Richard Wright’s life as an abused four-year-old in the American South. Yet, he manages to find some relief in reading, writing, and thinking. Although his family wanted him to accept religion, his own insecurity forced him to reject it and seek refuge in literature and the arts. Despite this, Richard Wright eventually accepts himself, regardless of what his family wants him to believe.

Literary naturalism

Wright’s use of the conventions of literary naturalism in Native Son is a powerfully symbolic representation of race relations in the United States. The novel depicts the struggles of African-Americans against racism, poverty, and other social forces. Wright’s protagonist experiences these very same struggles as he describes them in the novel. His father’s desertion of his family and his mother’s crippling illness evoke feelings of isolation and rebellion against authority.

While Wright does not explicitly use the term “naturalism,” naturalist literature does include elements of social and environmental determinism. This approach is largely influenced by the scientific revolution, which first began in the late 1800s. This method focuses on working-class and lower-class characters, rather than on people of power and privilege. Authors who adopt this perspective include James T. Farrell and Theodore Dreiser, as well as Richard Wright.

Antiheroism

The Antiheroism of Native Son is a novel written by Richard Wright and released in 1940. The story follows the life of Bigger Thomas, a young black man living in 1930s Chicago. Bigger’s attitude toward his life speaks volumes about the system of racism and oppression he experiences. The novel explores the psychological impact of such oppression, including the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed.

The story of Native Son explores man’s inhumanity to man. The rich man Mr. Dalton runs a Real Estate Company in Chicago’s Southside and charges black people $8 a week for a tiny room. He pretends to be a philanthropist by donating five million dollars to the black community and employing them for pennies on the dollar. In the end, this white man is responsible for the rise of Bigger’s crime.

Racism

The recurring theme of Racism in Native Son is how oppression ruins lives. Wright explores the psychology of the oppressors while illustrating the destructive effects of racism. The book’s characters are swayed by an unthinking sense of superiority that deceives them into viewing blacks as less than human. Ultimately, racism is an act of ignorance that undermines a society’s foundational values and fundamental human rights.

Richard Wright’s ”Native Son” is one of his many novels. This novel centers on a young man of color living in Chicago on a meager income. Wright has written about the close-mindedness of white people and the intentional powerlessness of black people. However, we cannot simply ignore the hegemony of the white people in American society. Native Son demonstrates these issues. In my opinion, this is a highly important novel.

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Squalor

A tense relationship between black men and white men is at the heart of Squalor, Native Son. It chronicles a group of black Chicagoans living in utter poverty and a crime committed by one of them. Despite the bleak circumstances, the characters of this play make their way into the heart of the story, and the film reveals the complexities of black community life and culture. A film about these people is a necessary part of examining the history of modern racism.

Squalor, Native Son posits a complex concept of race and territory. It highlights the tension between Bigger’s ”native” status and his lack of political rights. While Bigger was born in Mississippi, he was not a Chicagoan. Nevertheless, Wright’s title refers to him as a ”native.” Although Bigger would not have been better off in Harlem, his black skin and lack of political rights do not diminish his feelings of shame.

July 01, 2022
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