Native Son

by Ricard Wright
List(s):"Racine Library List"
Category: "Fiction - General"
Pages:502
Year of Publication:1940
Date Added:04/29/2009
Date Read:08/16/2009
Notes:Bigger Thomas is a poor Black 20-year old living in Chicago. He is angry with life and lashes out at anyone who gets in his way. He is offered a job as driver by Mr. Dalton, a rich man who gives money to charity but also owns the slum building where Bigger's family rents a one-room apartment. On his first night of work, Bigger takes Dalton's daughter, Mary and her boyfriend Jan (a Communist) to dinner. They treat him as an equal and have him eat with them. Bigger is confused and doesn't know how to behave. When he takes Mary home, she's drunk. He has to half-carry her to her room. When blind Mrs. Dalton enters, Bigger knows he would get in trouble for being in a white girl's room, so he stuffs a pillow over Mary's fact to silence her and suffocates her. He stuffs her body in the furnace and tries to cover his crime. When Jan is blamed, Bigger works a scheme with his girlfriend, Bessie to send a kidnap note. Mary's body is found and Bigger flees. He kills Bessie when she threatens to leave him, but he's soon caught. Another Communist, Max, defends him in court and tries to convince the judge and Bigger that all society is at fault. The judge doesn't buy it, and Bigger comes away with the idea that life is what you care about enough that you're willing to kill for it.
My Rating: 5

Reviews for Native Son

Review - Native Son

Wright certainly didn't make Bigger an attractive character. His argument that society was responsible was compelling, but his conclusion that Communism was the answer certainly wasn't. The reason for injustice and murder and all other crime isn't society or guilt or strength of feeling. It's sin, plain and simple. And the solution for all, Black or White, is Christ and only Christ.

Reviewed by Roger on 2009-08-16 14:19:22

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