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Native Son: Character Actions Defines Their Individual Personalities and
Belief Systems
Richard Wright's novel, Native Son, consisted of various main and
supporting character to deliver an effective array of personalities and
expression. Each character's actions defines their individual
personalities and belief systems. The main character of Native Son, Bigger
Thomas has personality traits spanning various aspect of human nature
including actions motivated by fear, quick temper, and a high degree of
intelligence. Bigger, whom the novel revolves around, portrays various
personality elements through his actions.
Many of his action suggest an overriding response to fear, which stems from
his exposure to a harsh social climate in which a clear line between
acceptable behavior for white's and black's exists. His swift anger and his
destructive impulses stem from that fear and becomes apparent in the
opening scene when he fiercely attacks a huge rat. The same murderous
impulse appears when his secret dread of the delicatessen robbery impels
him to commit a vicious assault on his friend Gus. Bigger commits both of
the brutal murders not in rage or anger, but as a reaction to fear. His
typical fear stems from being caught in the act of doing something
socially unacceptable and being the subject of punishment. Although he
later admits to Max that Mary Dalton's behavior toward him made him hate
her, it is not that hate which causes him to smother her to death, but a
feeble attempt to evade the detection of her mother. The fear of being
caught with a white woman overwhelmed his common sense and dictated his
actions. When he attempted to murder Bessie, his motivation came from
intense fear of the consequences of "letting" her live. Bigger realized
that he could not take Bessie with him or leave her behind and concluded
that killing her could provide her only "merciful" end.
The emotional forces that drive Bigger are conveyed by means other than his
words. Besides reactions to fear, his actions demonstrate an extremely
quick temper and destructive impulse as an integral part of his nature.
Rage plays a key part in his basic nature, but does not directly motivate
the murders he commits. Rage does not affect Bigger's intelligence and
quick thinking and it becomes evident during the interview with Briton.
The detective makes Bigger so angry that the interrogation becomes a game
to Bigger, a game of logic and wills, of playing the stupid negro, and
telling the man exactly what he wants to hear. The game Bigger plays
during the interrogation shows his great intelligence and ability to think
quickly on his feet. Bigger also displayed his intelligence in the
creation of the ransom note. Using the situation to his advantage, Bigger
wrote a ransom note to extort Mary's parents for money. To make the note
even more convincing and to dissuade blame from himself, Bigger signs the
note with the communist symbol of a hammer and sickle.
Although the book revolves around Bigger he possesses few good qualities,
which get his horrendous actions negate, making him an anti-hero. He
possess the violent tendencies to commit rape, extortion of the dead girls
parents, robbing, and killing innocent people. These traits do not portray
a simple victim of circumstance, but a habitual criminal acting out against
a society. While Bigger dominates the story, his appalling actions make
him a man that the reader can not look upon as a hero. In fact the author
punishes the anti-hero character by condemning him to death for his crimes.
One of the two most sympathetic characterizations of white persons in the
novel comes from the character of Jan Erlone, Mary Dalton's friend. He
exhibits an enthusiastic personality and represents an idealistic young
organizer for the Communist party. Mary's parents and their servant Peggy
distrust his motives. Bigger initially expresses a distaste for "reds"
when responding to Jan's friendly advances during their first meeting.
While receiving distrust from those around him, Jan retains a simple belief
in the equality for all men, regardless of social class or race. Throughout
Jan's first meeting with Bigger, he regards Bigger with the utmost respect.
During the course of the night, Jan sits in the front of the car with
Bigger, eats with him, drinks with him, and speaks to him as an equal.
Those actions of equality portray more than a decent man, it shows that
Jan's character possesses a strong sense of morality and honesty. Jan is
also characterized by other heroic traits, forgiveness and understanding.
As an interesting twist of fate, Jan gets Bigger an attorney, and
demonstrates that he could forgive Bigger for implicating him for Mary's
"kidnapping".
The second sympathetic white character, Boris A. Max, portrays the
Communist lawyer whom Jan brings to help Bigger. Max's legal knowledge and
his mastery of tactics are constantly in evidence. By taking Bigger's case
pro-bono, Max shows two aspects of his nature, charity and a need to defend
the oppressed. By accepting the task of Bigger's defense, he makes it
painfully clear that his true intent originates from a desire to protect
the image of the communist party. That passion does not adversely affect
his skill and he diligently works to protect his client from injustice.
The moment Bigger accepts Max's offer to represent him, Max protects his
client's interests and insists upon his rights. Max constantly
demonstrates his intelligence, in his pursuit of justice and a fair trial
for his client Bigger Thomas.
The members of the Dalton family represent the naivet‚ of whites to the
realities of social oppression. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton attempt to correct
their wrongs by donating to various black charities. They create a boy's
club, donating ping pong tables and various other impractical items. In
doing so, they do not make any personal sacrifices and basically give only
minimal personal involvement to the cause. They have not developed a
genuine understanding of the economic and social conditions of the black
people. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton are naive about their lack of impact on the
social and economic situations of the blacks that they attempt to help.
The author does not make them callous or bigoted. Their daughter, the wild
twenty-one year old Mary Dalton, lacks the refinement of her parents. She
wants to treat others as equals, but her actions make Bigger uncomfortable
and he grows to resent her for her actions.
Bigger's family and Bessie Mears represent, the "beaten" negros. They have
all accepted the that their lives will never have the possibility for
improvement. They feel doomed to remain in the pits of the slums. A lost
outlook on life represents Bessie's most outstanding personality trait.
Through her self-awareness she reiterates in multiple references that she
exists as a "lost" soul. Bessie circumstances prevent her from going any
farther in her life. She briefly escapes with the use of alcohol which
Bigger provides her in exchange for "love". An aura of death surrounds her
even before Bigger murders her. Like Bessie, Bigger's mother appears
trapped on a one way street going nowhere.
Conflicts An interesting aspect of Native Son develops from the many levels
of conflict occurring simultaneously in the book. On a superficial level
personal conflicts arise, but deeper conflicts about race, social status,
and political view points drive these superficial conflicts. When the book
opens Bigger has an argument with his mother, and then his sister, about
getting a job. Confrontations like these happen constantly throughout this
novel, but neither Bigger nor the other characters grow from these
conflicts. The characters act out in rage due to stress caused by social
circumstances. Bigger's violent temper gets him into various conflicts
with his gang, a man on the roof whom he attacks, and the fellow who owns
the pool hall.
Although these actions demonstrate acts of rage, they do not portray the
true motivation for Bigger's actions. The cause of Bigger personal
conflicts stem his fear of repercussion for his actions as a black in a
white dominated society. His fear of the consequences of being discovered
with a drunk white woman, drive Bigger Thomas to smother Mary Dalton. This
fear arose because of the non physical barriers, set up by society, between
white and black people. This tension made Bigger angry while he was forced
to secretly drive Jan and Mary around in the car and finally made him snap.
Like Bigger, the entire city demonstrates conflicts based upon fear brought
about by racial segregation. During the progress of the man hunt, blacks
and whites go at each others throats. These various conflicts all stem
from fear and racial hatred. Although Richard Wright portrays the
segregation of the blacks, he does not omit the segregation of various
social groups such as the communists. In contrast, Jan and Max's efforts
to save Bigger stem from a struggle for equality. They too feel the
constraints of oppression, but have a philosophy and social position with
which to rebel.
Themes Frustration and hopelessness develop as major themes of the story.
When Bigger and his friend Gus watch a sky writing plane, Bigger expresses
frustration in his statement "I could fly one of them things if I had a
chance." Discussing the impossibility of accomplishment in the white-
controlled world, Bigger expresses hopelessness, saying, "They don't let us
do nothing." When Gus reminds Bigger that they have always known this,
Bigger agrees, but insists that he cannot accustom himself to it. "Every
time I think about it," he says, "I feel like somebody's poking a red-hot
iron down my throat." Today a good example of the same type of frustration
can be seen on the various music videos done by black artists. These video
portray, poor education and a lack of opportunities afforded to blacks.
Oppression, hate, and the separatism between whites and blacks also arises
as a main theme. Bigger represents the oppressed but rebellious black, in
contrast the Dalton's represent naive whites, and Jan and Max represent the
oppressed communists. These various characters hate each other without
comprehend the underlying social cause. Only the oppressed groups come to
help and forgive each other by the end of the novel, while the oppressors
still asking for bitter vengeance. The separatism become obvious while
Bigger when sits in the car with Mary and Jan. He feels afraid and
uncomfortable being treated like an equal and being allowed to sit near
them. This separatism also made his oppressors blindly ignorant of the
realities of social oppression. Separatism affects both sides of the color
line. The characters consider each other as separate entities, never
interacting on an equal basis. Social ignorance allows the scapegoating of
Bigger, to vent the anger and rage built up from by many years of tension
between the races. A good example of separatism and oppression in our area
shows up in the conflicts between Whites and Cubans. Arguments about
English as the official language as the official language of the US
represent the manifestations of this conflict.
A notable theme that the author portrays through Bigger's actions come from
the true meaning of freedom to the oppressed. Bigger's discovered
"freedom" came to him in two instances, in both cases while committing
murder. With the death of Mary Dalton, Bigger starts to realize that for
the first time he has gone against the law. Breaking the proverbial
barrier and the proper limits of what a black man can do in society he is
no longer controlled or restrained by another mans rules. This idea
expands to note that when Bigger himself defines the rules, he makes
himself free. Interestingly serial killers in our society have multiplied,
a common trait that they all possess is abuse in their early lifetime.
Perhaps they act out of the same misguided need for freedom that Bigger
found when committing murder.
Author's Beliefs Bigger, his family, and Bessie all feel the affects of
separatism and oppression. Richard Wright believes in the immorality of
oppression. He uses his book as a tool to vent his frustration, at the
world that segregates negros. His characters, themes and conflicts
probably originate from his own experience of separatism. By using such a
wide range of characters, he gives the readers who are not black an insight
into the horrifically desperate situations many poor blacks experience.
Bigger's actions toward Jan and Mary portray his resignation to the social
inequity of the color barrier. He acts simply, as a subservient "yessah".
It appears the author believes the true wall of separation between whites
and blacks is an almost impassable division.
Jan and Max base their decisions on the equality of man. Having a moral
basis for action leads them to have a means to deal with oppression and the
ability to hope. In contrast, Bigger accepts separatism as an immutable
condition, and rebels against it by committing crimes. Bigger receives
punishment for his actions. The author would appears to support socialist
concepts as the proper rebellion against oppression. He seems to believe
in the equality of men and the value of demonstrating it in everyday
actions.
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