Native Son by Richard Wright

Next up for my Back to the Classics Challenge, I decided to go with Native Son by Richard Wright. I knew nothing about the plot of this novel before I started reading it, and I chose not to read the introduction to the novel in order to keep it that way. I ended up being glad I made that decision, because this is one of those reads that is definitely better the less you know about it going in. That being said, I will summarize the start of the plot below, so if anyone out there is planning to pick this one up, you might want to stop reading now.

The novel follows Bigger Thomas, a young African American man living in Chicago's South Side in the 1930s. He is living with his mother and two younger siblings in a tiny, rat-infested, one-room rental. The family struggles to make ends meet, and relies on government assistance to get by. As the story begins, Bigger is offered a job working as a chauffeur for a wealthy white family in the city. He isn't interested in working a regular job like this, but the welfare office will cut off the family's relief check if he doesn't take the work they offer him, so he is forced to accept the position.

Upon meeting his new employers, Bigger is immediately uncomfortable. The Dalton family are almost too friendly and helpful towards him, offering him more money and opportunities than a person in his position would normally be offered. Their adult daughter, Mary, in particular, confuses Bigger with her open-minded attitudes and speeches praising labor unions and the Communist Party. He is not educated or intelligent enough to understand what she is talking about most of the time, and regards her with extreme suspicion.

His first night on the job, Bigger is tasked with driving Mary to her college class. The evening spirals into a confusing and tense one for him, as Mary immediately ditches school and asks Bigger to drive her and her boyfriend around town instead. Fearing for his new job, he complies with what she asks him to do, but inwardly becomes more and more nervous and angry. Mary and her boyfriend drink and kiss in the back of the car for hours until she passes out, and Bigger is left to pick up the pieces and get her home without her parents finding out that he was helping her sneak around. In a moment of fear and panic, he accidentally smothers Mary while trying to get her back in her bedroom undetected.

The rest of the novel follows Bigger as he tries to cover up his accidental murder, then, failing that, evade the police. Throughout his journey, he grapples with confusion, fear, and a disturbing sense of freedom in the wake of his actions. By operating outside of the law, he feels more in control of his life than he ever has before. For the first time, he isn't struggling under the oppressive yoke of racism that limits everything from where he can live to where he can work. He is making decisions for himself. At the same time, he knows what he has done could very well lead to his death, and he fears being caught. The resulting story is a powerful commentary on race relations in America and the tragedies that spring from inequality.

Native Son is a powerful book. It feels like something you would read in school, full of important themes and layered with symbolism. It is divided into three large sections, and the first two are genuine page turners. I was shocked by Bigger's actions and anxious to see how the story would develop. Unlike many classic novels, that couch violent or sexual events in euphemistic language, Richard Wright tells it like it is here. I remember my jaw actually dropping open at a few passages. The third section of the novel is a bit slower, and packed with dense passages explaining the novel's deeper themes. It took me a bit longer to make my way through this part, and I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two sections, but it does drive home the main points Richard Wright was making throughout the story. Overall, this was an engaging and complex read, and one that is still quite relevant to our world today.  

The only bits of the novel that felt outdated are the numerous references to communism throughout the story. Mary Dalton, her boyfriend, and Bigger's lawyer are all members of the Communist Party and all of them preach the benefits of that system. Communism is presented as a potential solution to racism-a way to level the playing field. Wright was a communist himself, and sections of the book read more like propaganda than parts of a narrative. It was still interesting to examine how this philosophy functioned in America during this time period, but it definitely felt old.

Bigger's character was probably the most interesting element of the novel for me. He's not a likable protagonist at all. At the start of the story, we see him plan future robberies, masturbate in a movie theater, and beat up one of his only friends for no good reason at all. On top of all this, he is unintelligent, rude to his family, and prone to fits of powerful rage. Despite all this, however, I came to feel quite bad for him throughout his story. Wright walks the fine line between condoning his actions and showing how he came to be the way he is. The racism present in his world undoubtedly shaped his personality and behavior, but at the same time, doesn't excuse it. Wright's storytelling is skillful enough to be sympathetic to Bigger without asking the reader to completely release him from blame. His writing focuses on the tragedy of it all, on how an unwillingness to try and understand others breeds anger, aggression, and distrust.

As far as classic novels go, this one is definitely one worth reading. Native Son's message about race is still thought-provoking and its plot is engaging. It is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about classic American literature, and a must read for anyone who seeks to understand the experience of different races throughout our history. I have one other Wright novel on my Classics Club list (Black Boy), and after reading Native Son, I am looking forward to picking it up. This was definitely one of my more successful reads from my list. 


Challenge Tally
Classics Club (#12 on my list): 55/100 


Total Books Read in 2019: 65