Bigger in Native Son Essay

In Native Son, Bigger commits such a heinous crime that the entire city ridicules him. Although he is clearly despised by the general public in the story, the audience feels a connection with Bigger. At some points, the audience may feel disgust for him because of the crimes he committed, but at other times the audience feels empathy for him. This effect of juggling Bigger as a good guy or bad guy is purposely brought upon by the author, Richard Wright. Along with flipping around Biggers image, it flips the views of the audience on the characters that interact with Bigger, too.

Wright brings the effect of having Bigger be both a protagonist and antagonist by telling the audience Biggers thoughts. A natural feeling is that since Bigger is the main character of the story, and because his feelings and thoughts are revealed, he should be the good guy of the story. This natural feeling is shown in the many thoughts that run through Biggers head over the course of his escape and internment. Also, the story follows Bigger, and at every moment of the book, Bigger is present. Because Biggers thoughts are focused on, his views influence our perception of what happens. It makes the reader feel as if he or she IS Bigger. An example of this is when Bigger is first taken to the inquest, and knocks out. Neither the reader nor Bigger knows what is going on, and when Bigger wakes up confused, the reader also awakens confused. With these methods, Wright lets the reader feel that what Bigger did was not in ill will, but the reader also struggles because they realize what Bigger did was extremely wrong. This is shown when Bigger acknowledges his wrongdoings, and also when he admits that he killed Mary and Bessie. Bigger says, When I saw I couldnt get the money, I killed her to keep her from talking. (Wright 307) This could be a point where the audience realizes what Bigger did was wrong, and also were for the wrong reasons. Using this paradox in the readers perception of Bigger gives the reader a conflict that they can think about. It leaves the reader wondering after the book is finished whether Bigger was a good person or not.

Since Wright focuses on Biggers thoughts, his feelings about the people around him are transferred to the reader, too. The reader feels the way that he feels, because there is no other character to get a second opinion from. The perceived antagonists of Native Son are at some times Gus, Britten, Buckley, Biggers mother, and Jan. Because Bigger resents, dislikes, or hates these people at points of the story, the audience also feels the same. This shows how the readers compassion is shifted because of Bigger. Biggers inside thoughts are an integral part of the story, because that is the medium in which the characters are described. For example, Biggers actions and thoughts about his mother show resentment for what she says of him. Bigger is tired of his mother pushing around. This shows how because Bigger feels resentment towards his mother, the audience also sees Biggers mother as an antagonist. She is seen as a nuance to Bigger and the audience. Another example is when Bigger is with Jan and Mary for the first time. He feels uneasy about Jan and Mary, and question whether they are sincere about liking Bigger. This makes the reader wary of Jan, and also shows how Bigger is confused of the whites and the reader also picks up a paranoia. Had the story been told from another characters perspective, the views of other characters would be totally different, too.

In relation to the works of W.E.B. Du Bois and Langston Hughes, Wrights Native Son puts an African-American in the forefront of the story, showing their perspective. These characters are discriminated against and are hindered by their race. As stated by Du Bois, Bigger feels that he is being oppressed by the rich,white man. When Bigger kills Mary Dalton, he feels a new freedom. This shows how the whites were putting both a economical and psychological oppression on blacks, and when Bigger kills Mary, he is freed from that oppression. Another example is when Bigger takes the job at the Daltons house. This shows how Bigger takes action to move forward with his life, instead of hanging out with his friends. It is a reflection of how Du Bois told the blacks to take action, and not wait for the action to come to them. In Native Son, Mr. Dalton claimed to have donated money to the black community, but everyone realizes that he simply gave pool tables to community centers. This shows how the whites take no part in helping the black community, and actually hinder them by pretending to be philanthropists. This also shows how Hughes depicted the blacks as a race that lacks help. The writings and poetry of Du Bois and Hughes personified what Bigger was going through.

Richard Wright uses different inspirations and writing techniques to create the character of Bigger. He further makes Bigger a protagonist and antagonist in the story, and also finds a way to depict the condition of the black community in the 1930s. By twisting the audiences perception of Bigger and the characters around him, Wright has somewhat controlled what the reader feels.