Native Son by Richard Wright - Essay Example

?Essay on Native Son: This novel comes at that time when racism had a strong hold in every of America. As American Africans have no rights and they were treated pathetically by white. No rights were given to the black Americans in even at government level too. Government was also supporting the racism. Native Son seems like a thriller, a perception of political and deep involvement of personal characteristics, page to page separating the black American suffering before getting civil rights that is sympathetic and also terrifying at many places and in events. Thomas, lead character of the story, who is living the life of suffering in Chicago's ghettos until he gets his ticket out of craving to get freedom. Bigger is hampered with a powerful zeal that he has cannot control his life and that he cannot do anything other than working as a labor. The character is very complex and has very low confidence level. The novel may only be compared to the Richard Wright supporting culture, and a very complex in fact a negative picture of the black Americans. Mary’s murder gives Bigger a sense of power and identity he has never known. Which though leads him to death at the end but he struggled hard to overcome all his weakness his poverty. He has a great feeling of freedom too as explained in the novel. “Bigger has a strong feeling of freedom: "Sort of natural-like, me being here facing that death chair. Now I realize about it, it seems like something like this just had to be. He is then fated to death and faces his destiny impenitently. Thinking of that 'the reason I killed for, I am!' Though in prison, shows a great need for a common brotherhood. This actually shows what Wright really think of freedom. As he considered freedom a term when one can free him from any regret from every sin he has done mistakenly or with conscious mind which leads him to death yet is effective as it will end. The novel shows various annoying characteristics of Thomas. As though he was a very terrified boy from white that he never ever tried to rob the white with his gang as he take white not an individual but as a group. So he was very much terrifying and may be his fear will then end at such violence. Richard Wrights has a very complex definition of freedom. As doing a complete analysis of Thomas it seems that writer is a very deep critic of the society’s cruel attitude and the strange implementation of those rules that support racism. He portrays the character as it is a real discovery of such cruel society. Wright has a clear an idea of freedom and also he discovers many hurdles can be faced by achieving such levels of freedom are not possible until one can sacrifice greatly. Mary, Mr. Dalton’s daughter was a really against this racism so she threaten Thomas to forget about all the taboos and to encourage him she spent full night with his boy friend and Bigger her boy friend Jan desperate to prove their liberal thoughts and racial tolerance against the black Americans. Despite Bigger’s embracement they spent great time with him. This is another way of depicting that this is not possible to get a real freedom. As though the couple is giving Thomas a great opportunity to interact with a class of white people but he acts annoyingly. That shows at any cost bigger does not have the ability to overcome his inferiority complex enforced in him from his childhood that may lead to a strange criminal mind set. Like after that evening they get drunk heavily. And Bigger drove to home. Afterward, Mary is too drunk as she cannot go to her bedroom on her own, so Bigger helps her to get there. Drunk and as he get freedom he started kissing Mary. That depicts what the writer another perception towards the fears and complexes of one man that leads him towards violating all the rules. And act like animal as when he get a little space and a chance he forgot what is right and what is wrong and freely do what his fear asks him to do. This is a way to get freedom but deeply this is not a real freedom actually this is an outcome of all those complex behaviors which enforces someone to live freely. According to Richard Wright to get the real freedom one has to overcome all his fear by using any means just like Thomas as he accidently kill Mary and to make him innocent he and to conceal his crime he does many others like he buried Mary’s body in to Daltons’ furnace and suppose that Jan will be considered guilty. And then as he gets assurance that he could not be caught he asks for ransom but somehow he has been captured and as the society considered is really offended so Thomas sentenced to death though Jan tried hard to rescue him but along with society he was considering himself a thing of pity and worth of this punishment. This strange behavior of Thomas depicts that if the person is indulged highly and from his birth in to a feeling of slavery whether he gets a chance of freedom he can not avail this. So according to Wright the biggest hurdle in freeing yourself is the person himself. As his inner feelings and an unconscious mindset enforces him that he is not worth of it. Finally at the death chair what Thomas says shows that he does not know why he has done it but at this stage he is having a feeling of freedom as now no worries and complexes can disturb him and after his death he may live in peace? Also this novel depicts that every writer’s background and circumstances does affect his writing just in case of Native Son writer focused greatly in the characterization of a black man who has faced hardships of racism which completely destroys his personality and throughout his life he cannot get rid of his complexions. References: Joseph T. Skerrett: The Wright Interpretation: Ralph Ellison & the Anxiety of Influence. 1980. Print. C. Fred Alford: Freedom and Borderline Experience. International Society of Political Psychology, 2003.Print Keith Lehrer: Freedom, Preference and Autonomy. Springer, 1997. Print Read More