stages, Book_Reports, College Term Papers.com


		Data Bases
		• Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism?

		Links
		• Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com

		Free Essays
		• Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers

Search Lots of Essays

Back to Subjects - Book Reports

stages

stages Richard Wright's Native Son provides us with an exemplary example of the way the black race was conditioned in the 1930's. He does this by telling us about an adult black male named Bigger Thomas. Wright titles each book in the novel the way he does to give insight into the various actions and feelings of Bigger. Book one is entitled Fear. It provides us with an explanation of why Bigger is afraid to do many things that he has a chance to do. Wright explains that Bigger is afraid because he is conditioned by white society to act this way. In Fear, Wright shows us that in actuality, Bigger is afraid to rob Blum's store. Bigger tries to mask his fear by implying that Gus is the one who is scared. They are shooting a game of pool when he asks Gus if he still wants to do the job. When Gus says no Bigger replies, "How come? You scared ‘cause he's a white man?" When Gus retaliates, Bigger tries to accuse Jack and G.H. He makes the statement, "Cause he's white, everybody's scared." Wright emphasizes bigger's fear again when he arrives at the Dalton's. Bigger is scared because he thinks that someone will believe that he is trying to rob or rape somebody. Bigger feels that he should have stayed among his own people in order to escape the feeling of fear that he has in his heart. Once again Wright emphasizes the title. He does this when Jan and Mary ask Bigger to eat with them. Bigger stutterers, "I-I . . . . I don't want to go in." With this statement Bigger shows how much he fears the white race. In this book of Native Son Bigger proves that his heart is full of fear when he burns Mary's body to prevent anyone from blaming her so called "disappearance" on him. It is clear that Wright entitled book one Fear to emphasize why bigger's heart is full of fear and what he does to cope with this fear. Book two of Wright's Native Son is entitled Flight. Like Fear, Flight also has a specific meaning. Flight begins with Bigger at his home asleep. He leaps from bed with thoughts of how he killed Mary Dalton flooding his mind. He begins to think that he can do what he wants and not get caught. After killing Mary, bigger begins to thirst for more. When he returns to the Dalton's he wonders if he will have to kill Peggy. He thinks that she might accidentally see parts of Mary's body in the furnace. Bessie inadvertently gives him an idea when she brings up Loeb and Leopold. Bigger decides to try out this idea. He figures that it will throw any suspicion off of him. Bessie starts to talk about the subject when Bigger interjects with, "And ask for money, sure, and get it too. You see, we cash in, ‘cause nobody else is trying to." When bigger returns to the Dalton's he is interrogated by private investigator Britten. Bigger leads him to believe that Jan Erlone is responsible for Mary's disappearance. He is on his way to see Bessie when Jan stops to talk to him. Bigger pulls a gun and begins to scream, "Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" When Bigger arrives at Bessie's he treats her like a stray dog. "You ain't going to turn away from me now! Not now, Goddamn you!" They begin to quarrel. Bigger yells, "Gimme a knife." He then realizes that Bessie knows that he already has one. He begins to write the letter. "We got your daughter. She is safe. She wants to come home. Don't go to the police if you want your daughter back alive. Get ten thousand in 5 and 10 bills and put it in a shoe box and tomorrow night ride your car up and down Michigan Avenue from 35th Street to 40th. Blink your headlights some. When you see a light in a window, blink three times throw the box in the snow and drive off. Do what the letter say. P.S. Bring the money at midnight." Bessie becomes inquisitive. Bigger exclaims, "I ain't going to leave you behind to snitch!" He begins to threaten her. "If you scream, I'll have to kill you, so help me God!" Bigger takes her out to show her what to do and takes her back home. When he gets back to the Dalton's, he is called to the basement. While down there he attempts to put more coal on the fire, but his attempt fails. The room fills with smoke. A reporter discovers Mary's bones and Bigger flees the scene. He goes to see Bessie. While with her, he begins to wonder what to do with her. His answer is to kill again. Bigger kills Bessie and throws her down an air shaft. Through bigger's actions and statements it is clear to see that Wright entitled book two Flight to emphasize how Bigger becomes hungry for more and what he does to satisfy this hunger. Wright entitles book three Fate for a specific reason just as he has book one and book two. Bigger is in prison. He refuses food, cigarettes, and water. Reverend Hammond comes to see him. The first words that come out of his mouth are, "Mah po' boy! May the good Lawd have mercy on yuh." As the reverend talks, Bigger pretends to listen. Jan arrives with an attorney. His name is Max. "I'm from the labor Defenders. I want to help you." After a brief talk with his attorney, Bigger is taken to an inquest. Here he sees his family and friends for the first time since his arrest. As his mother is taken from the room, she cries, "You's rich and powerful. Spare my boy." The reply that she gets is, "Mrs. Thomas, there's nothing we can do." State attorney Buckley questions Bigger. "You wrote that kidnap note, didn't you?" Bigger confesses, "Yeah, I wrote it." "And you killed Mary, too?" He replies, "I didn't mean to kill her, but it don't matter now." Unfortunately, Bigger's fate now lies in the hands of the people that he fears so much. Bigger is taken to Mary's room and told, "Just go through the motions you went through that night." Bigger and the men engage in a small argument which ends with bigger exclaiming, "You can't make me do nothing but die!" Bigger believes that he has no reason to live. After a long heart felt talk with Max, Bigger realizes that he really wants to live, not die. He sobs, "I don't want to die, I don't want to die." The trial is now over and his fate has been determined. "In Number 666-983, indictment for murder, the sentence, of the Court is that you, bigger Thomas, shall die on or before midnight of Friday, March third, in a manner prescribed by the laws of this state." It is clear to see that Wright entitled book three fate to emphasize the fact that Bigger's fate lies in the hands of the people that put such extreme amounts of fear into his heart. So, in conclusion, Richard Wright entitles each book in his novel Native Son for a specific reason. He gives book one the title Fear in order to provide insight into why bigger's heart is full of fear and how he copes with his fear. Wright titles book two Flight in order to emphasize how Bigger becomes hungry for more and what he does to satisfy this hunger. Book three is given the title of Fate to show that in fact, Bigger's fate lies in the hands of the people that caused him to kill in the first Bibliography:

Word Count: 1300