Native Son by Richard Wright

Native Son 

Richard Wright

Published 1940

American Novel

The Well-Educated Mind Novels

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I. Grammar Stage Inquiry

Who is the central character in this book? Bigger Thomas

What is the book’s most important event? This is the event in which the main character changes the most.   The most important event is when Max, Bigger’s lawyer, speaks to Bigger in jail preparing his defense, and Max asks him numerous personal questions about his life; those questions cause Bigger to feel like his life has worth.  For the first time, he has hope and feels equal to other men.  He once thought everyone else was blind, but now he wonders if he was the one who had been blind all along.  Suddenly, he doesn’t want to die.

II. Logic Stage Inquiry

What does the central character want?

Bigger wants a lot of things throughout the story:

1. Bigger wants to be treated like a man.

2. He wants “to be free of everything that stood between him and his end, him and the full and terrible realization that life was over without meaning, without anything being settled, without conflicting impulses being resolved.”

3. He wants to know the truth if there was “some (similar) battle everybody was fighting”; “…did everybody in the world feel alike?”

4. He wants to tell others how he feels, how he lives, and about his life.

5. He wants “to merge himself with others and be a part of this world, to lose himself in it so he could find himself, to be allowed a chance to live like others, even though he was black.”

What is standing in his way, and what strategies does he use to get what he wants? 

Hate and fear are standing in Bigger’s way.  Hate is what causes men to fear, which causes them to do things that they really don’t want to do, but feel like they just have to do it to protect themselves.  Hate and fear are what blind men.  Bigger must make a decision to either keep hope alive in order to die free or to return to his shell and hide behind his fear and hate. 

Finally, Bigger opens up, after his sentence, and freely talks about his life to Max as he comes to terms with his truth about why he committed murder; now he feels he is no longer burdened by hate or fear.  He is finally free.

III. Rhetoric-Stage Inquiry

Is there an argument in this book?  

Argument One: Everyone wants the same things: to live in this world and be free; to be treated with respect and honor; and to know that his life has meaning or purpose.  

Argument Two: If those in power continue to oppress those groups they seek to control, eventually those groups will rise up and rebel.

Argument Three: Hate causes fear or fear causes hate; both cause blindness.

Argument Four: Reject religion because it keeps people blind and ignorant.  

 (Possible) Argument Five: People are a product of their environment.

Do I agree? 

Argument One: Yes, to a degree.  It is human nature to desire freedom, honor, and purpose; and I believe most people do share this need.  I cannot speak for the others.

Argument Two: Yes.  Rebellion is also part of human nature that opposes powers that oppress the human desire to be free.  (ie. the American Revolution!)

Argument Three: Yes.  Absolutely makes sense.

Argument Four: No.  Religion, more specifically, salvation through Christ opens your eyes and frees you from your burden of ignorance.  Apparently, Richard Wright never understood this, and instead saw the church as a place to keep people ignorant and immobile.    

Argument Five: I do not like this argument, but I think there is some truth to it.  For one, black Americans in the 1930s lived in a different period than we do now.  Today, legislation has provided relief from many unfair practices, while the hearts of men have also changed dramatically with regard to race and other prejudices. They have!!!!  But the powers then were different; now government controls much of the private sector, and any oppression or suppression of opportunity is thanks to government being an obstacle.

In my previous post, I noted that I think government is still perpetuating the segregation, oppression, and keeping groups of people inferior by subjecting them to hopelessness.  Government has an interest in growing more powerful, and in doing so, it must keep its people dependent, which is possible if people remain ignorant and in poverty.  But ignorance and poverty are wearisome and miserable.  Hopelessness keeps people restless, and restlessness causes agitation, and agitation provokes hatred. Government is partially responsible for maintaining the hopeless environment in which so many people find themselves trapped.

However, and this is why I do not totally agree with the argument: ultimately, people are accountable for their own behavior.  One cannot completely blame his environment or upbringing for everything - I don't care how horrible it is.  They are responsible for not fighting for their lives and wanting to rise above it.  They are responsible for being lazy and careless and expecting [government] to take care of them forever.  And they are responsible for the evil influences they follow and the wicked decisions that they make.

Native Son by Richard Wright covers a short period of Bigger Thomas' life, a poor young black man living in Chicago, 1930.  He is offered a job as chauffeur to a wealthy white family.  When he finds himself in an uncompromising situation, he knows no other way out, but murder.  One crime leads to another and another until he is caught.  His lawyer, Max, takes his case in order to defend his life and the lives of millions of other black Americans who are living within this vicious cycle of racism and hate.  Max is Bigger's only witness, and his defense is to explain WHY Bigger committed murder in hopes of enlightening those who hold Bigger's fate in their hands and ending the cycle.  Extremely powerful and well-written about highly emotional issues that are still present today.

IMHO

Unfortunately, Bigger Thomas' condition still exists, but today I think the unfairness goes beyond race. There is a cultural and political divide in America that prevents people from reaching their FULL POTENTIAL, and it is led by a political ideology that says, "Some people, based on their "minority status," cannot make it in America without the help of government." Many believe the LIE that they cannot survive without government intervention and aid. Yet, all government intervention ever does is perpetuate the segregation, oppression, and immobility of its people. Government policy does not lift people up; it keeps (the very people it says it helps) DOWN!

This is not freedom; this is STILL slavery!

So, what has changed today, if anything?   In Bigger's time, it was the rich white man that controlled; but now it is government that targets labeled-minorities and tells them that only government can fix their problems.  But in the process they provide no encouragement or enlightenment.

When wealthy Mr. Dalton donated his money for ping pong tables for black youth in Bigger's neighborhood, it reminded me of elected officials in my time who wanted to set up basketball courts with lights in low-income neighborhoods.

Kids like Bigger don't need ping pong or basketball; they need and want options and opportunities just like everyone else.  Even our education system has been dumbed down to appease young people in these situations because government has taken control of our education system and is not in the business of building knowledge. They are in the business of controlling masses and keeping people ignorant.  This only leads to more apathy and poverty, which leads to more dependence on government, which is still slavery!

You only have one life!  Fight for it!

Look! Unfairness exists, and everyone is a victim of unfairness at some point - some more than others. Government cannot totally eradicate unfairness, but you can fight it yourself.  You can rise above it. Dwelling on it only keeps you miserable and feeling sorry for yourself. What matters is that you only have one life, and you must fight for that life.  Max, Bigger's lawyer, explained this to Bigger, and Bigger understood this; but by then it was too late.

If only Bigger could have read My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas, he would have known what it looked like to rise above hate, unfairness, poverty, segregation, and racism, and take advantage of opportunity, make right choices, and fight for your life.