Our class discussion on Native Son is coming to an end, and I have yet to blog about the book. Better late than never?
When I first began this post, I attempted to write about the entire book to make up for my lack of posting. I quickly realized that I just have too many things I want to say, and it would take forever if I tried to write about every aspect of Native Son. However, this book has left a lasting impression on me and I feel like I need to put at least some of my thoughts out there. I'm not entirely sure of where I'm going with this, but here we go.
Something that was mentioned a lot and that really stuck with me from class discussion is Richard Wright's characterization of Bigger Thomas as a product of his environment, and it's something that I've kept in my mind throughout the discussion of the book. I think Wright really tried to push this idea through the entire book, and it helped me to think about the character of Bigger and to decide if I feel sympathetic towards him.
Bigger grew up impoverished and confined, unable to do what he desires because of racial barriers. He wants more for himself but he can't have it. He has to watch his family struggle, and he really can't do much to ease their suffering. He likes to have control of his own life, but in many cases he can't have. This is the environment he came out of, that has shaped him, and for that, I feel sympathy for him.
It's not that I pity Bigger because of the rough life he has had, but more that I can see how this affects his reasoning and personality. His strong opposition to this way of life greatly contrasts with that of his family, who accepts this lifestyle more than he does. For his entire life, Bigger has been trapped. Not only is he physically confined, but he's also emotionally confined, as he can't express his ideas to those around him because they don't really get it like he does, causing him to often times be misunderstood. He is walking around in a world with social norms that aren't just, but have to be accepted, and it worries, maybe even frightens, him. He has to hide behind his tough exterior because it's the only way he knows how to deal with this oppression.
Knowing this about Bigger makes me sympathetic towards him. I wouldn't go so far as saying that this excuses his actions, but I think that Wright telling us things about Bigger that even Bigger doesn't know (or maybe knows and refuses to acknowledge), and this idea of being a product of his environment provides us with more reasoning for Bigger's actions and emotions.
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