Add BookmarkNative Son (P.S.)
Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Wright's powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means t... (show more)
Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Wright's powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America.
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From the beginning chapter, titled Fear, through the latter chapters, Fate and Fight, I never knew exactly what to expect.
I read a bio of Richard Wright a few months ago and wondered how I had never read this book. I started reading it a few months ago, and puttered through the first 40 or so pages. Then as I got to the middle of the first chapter it was impossible to put down.
It is a powerful social (and racial) commentary of American society, made only more fantastic given the year it ... (show more)
From the beginning chapter, titled Fear, through the latter chapters, Fate and Fight, I never knew exactly what to expect.
I read a bio of Richard Wright a few months ago and wondered how I had never read this book. I started reading it a few months ago, and puttered through the first 40 or so pages. Then as I got to the middle of the first chapter it was impossible to put down.
It is a powerful social (and racial) commentary of American society, made only more fantastic given the year it was authored. (1940) I highly recommend the book, as I followed closely Bigger's actions and almost sick to my stomach dreading the consequences of his actions.
Interestingly, Bigger seemed to be dreading the consequences too, until he was finally OK with them. At the very end, even, I would say that he welcomed them.
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This time around I was teaching the novel. We talked about Wright's use of newspaper accounts, the clash between existentialism and Marxism, and Max's defense of Bigger as a product of his environment. I'm always impressed with the way Wright creates compelling tension throughout each section in such a tightly constricted situation.
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