Native Son-November 7th

In the introduction, written by the author Richard Wright, Wright discusses at length the making of his protagonist, Bigger Thomas; he reflects on his childhood all the way up to his adulthood, and outlines specific examples of when he met a Bigger and the informing aspect of each incident. Please discuss the many Biggers that Wright experienced in the course of his life, and what did they ALL have in common. Please use concrete details to support your analysis.

            Richard Wright quotes, “ The birth of Bigger Thomas goes back to my childhood, and there was not just one Bigger, but many of them, more than I could count and more than you expect” (Wright  434). From Wright’s reflections, he assures readers that the character of Bigger Thomas did not form from one event in his life. Moreover, the character developed as Wright progressed through his life. Bigger’s character transforms and develops throughout all the people Wright encountered in his life and who were remarkably significant. Without seeing the lightened perspective of Bigger through each encounter, Wright proclaims that he would have been unable to create such a deep and composite character. 

Wright describes Bigger number one as, “His life was a continuous challenge to others. At all times he took his way, right or wrong, and those who contradicted him had to fight. And never was he happier than when he had someone cornered and at his mercy; it seemed that the deepest meaning of his squalid life was in him at such times” (Wright 435). Bigger number one is described as he feels like he needs to prove his superiority by degrading his own kind. Wright says that he and his friends were afraid of Bigger number one, as his actions were criminal. Bigger number two, Wright explains, “And the hardness of this Bigger number two was not directed toward me or the other Negroes, but towards the whites who ruled the South” (Wright  435). Bigger number two is portrayed that he is like Wright and his friends-having no money and living an unjust life. Wright says of Bigger number two, “Further, he would tell us that we were fools not to get what we wanted while we were alive in this world. We would listen and silently agree. We longed to believe and act as he did, but we were afraid” (Wright  435). The fear of Bigger number two conquers over the emotions and actions of Wright and his friends, as all of them were beginning to understand what the Whites had taken away from them. Bigger number two is dismissive of the whites, as he encourages the black community to fight to have a life like what the Whites had. Bigger number three, struck Wright to see a new perspective of a man. Wright recalls, “And the episode would end right there. But later on Bigger number three was killed during the days of Prohibition: while delivering liquor to a customer he was shot through the back by a white cop” (Wright  436). Bigger number three is considered to be an atrocious man by an average reader for his actions.

However, Wright saw that the refusal of a man for what he did not desire could be so astounding. A man could refuse to do what a society as told him to do, as he fights to not succumb to what society has become. Wright composes Bigger number four as a man who broke the law and knew that he was going to have to pay for his freedom-meaning his life. Bigger number four displays as, “His rebellious spirit made him violate all the taboos and consequently he always oscillated between moods of intense elation and depression” (Wright 436). This man is another rebel, who oppresses the Whites who shape him into living an unjust melancholy life. Bigger number four believes that he can overcome what his oppressors have made his life to be, but he convinces himself by the cynical manner of the Whites have led him to lost all hope and see the reality of always living an unrighteous life. Lastly, Bigger five had concluded what all the Biggers in society have encompassed. Wright mentions of Bigger number five, “The Negroes experienced an intense flash of pride and the streetcar moved on its journey without incident. I don’t know what happened to Bigger number five. But I can guess” (Wright  437). Bigger number five is expressed as another example of refusing to do what society has come to. His action to not move out of the white only streetcar, is a starting point to empower the black community-that together, they all can change the way of society and create justice and equality for all. The quote of Bigger number five surely captivates the quality that all five Biggers encompass. It is pride, to where each Bigger is proud of his ethnicity, even if he is white or black. This pride will never succumb to such a prejudice society, as each Bigger contains pride and passion for who he is and will never change his character and being to be accepted. One can conclude that each Bigger would rather die as a man with great pride, than to alter himself. With this pride, each Bigger is confident within his own skin, and as a community, together can make an impact to reform a society with an aspiration towards equality and tolerance.  


Analyze the following quote from the introduction to Native Son, written by Richard Wright:

 "From these items I drew my first political conclusions about Bigger: I felt that Bigger, an American product, a native son of this land, carried within him the potentialities of either Communism or Fascism. I don’t mean to say that the Negro boy I depicted in Native Son is either a Communist or a Fascist. He is not either. But he is product of a dislocated society; he is a dispossessed or disinherited man; he is all of this, and he lives amid the greatest possible plenty on earth and he is looking and feeling for a way out"

 Richard Wright entails his character Bigger is one of a complex structure. It is not until Wright looks at Bigger’s character is a global aspect when he realizes that in his mind Bigger is an American product and he is also a product distinguished around the world. Wright begins to understand as, “And on innumerable occasions I started to detect, either from the side of the Fascists or from the side of the oppressed, reactions, moods, phrases, attitudes that reminded me strongly of Bigger, that helped to bring out more clearly the shadowy outlines of the negative that lay in the back of my mind” (Wright 444).

Bigger is a reactor to his world. His world lies into two different societies. There is the glorious white society where all the money, luxury, and power is contained. On the other side of the tracks, is where Bigger is from the perspective of the novel is told from. Bigger’s background is from the black community in the south side of Chicago, where the entire community lives in poverty and is of the working class. Wright explains there are many perspectives and influences that he integrated to create this Bigger story in Native Son. Bigger is neither a member of the Communist Party, nor a member of the Fascist Party. He is a black man, like the others in his community, desperately searching and aspiring to be something greater in the society, he lives in

 Bigger is a product of his society, as he is a symbol of the hardships that the black community faces. However, as a black man, he does not fit in this society. This society is favored and centered on the white power, which morphs into the succession and power of white oppression and racism. Bigger is brought down by his oppressors in society, as he lives in poverty and struggles with his family relationships. The control of the white oppression creates men like Bigger to make them feel like they own nothing in this society. Within a society, if one is told that he is not able to achieve something, it empowers one to rise above the oppression. Similar to Bigger, as well as the entire black community, these people desire to have society’s standards and ultimate racism, as they all want to live in the American dream-a life promised in full liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness- in equality. 

What is at the heart of Bigger's fears? 
Quite a few things are at the heart of Bigger. Wright quotes in his introduction, “I had also to show what oppression had done to Bigger’s relationships with his own people, how it split him off from them, how it had baffled him; how oppression seems to hinder and stifle in the victim those very qualities of character which are so essential for an effective struggle against the oppressor” (Wright 452-453). Wright creates the character Bigger to feel inferior to the power of the whites. In this society, the white oppression is a key magnet that holds the black community into place of being subordinate. The author proposes that Bigger creates some sort of actions that alienates him from this white world, as well as the world he comes from. For Bigger, he is a man that always needs a sense of confidence with obtaining complete power. Within his actions, if he isolates himself from the society where he belongs, he will have nothing left-leaving him to be alienated and powerless.                
Wright also proposes of Bigger, “…a fear and dread which exercises an impelling influence upon our lives all out of proportion to its obscurity. And, accompanying this first fear, is, for the want of a better name a reflect urge toward ecstasy, complete submission, and trust” (Wright 452). What Bigger fears the most, is that the society he lives in will never change. Currently, he lives in an oppressed world where the white power is dominating over all. As Bigger lives in the oppression, he strives for the greater, as he wants to make something out of himself, life, and gain power. The white members of society do not trust blacks, as it is a way to describe how whites are blind to see blacks as equal human beings. Bigger fears that this structure of society will never change and blacks will have to live with oppression for future generations. 

Allison