Native Son (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Richard Wright
- First Published: 1940
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1930’s
- Setting: An American city
- Principal Characters: Bigger Thomas, Mr. Dalton, Mrs. Dalton, Mary Dalton, Jan Erlone, Britten, Bessie Mears, Buckley, Boris A. Max
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: African Americans, Justice, Self-discovery, United States or Americans, Communism or communists, Politics, Racism, Murder or homicide, Midwest, Antiheroes, 1930’s, Poverty or poor people, Capital punishment, Trials, Law or legislation, Fear, Fate or fatalism
- Locales: Chicago, IL
The Story:
Bigger Thomas lived in a one-room apartment with his brother, sister, and mother. Always penniless, haunted by a pathological hatred of white people, driven by an indescribable urge to make others cringe before him, Bigger had retreated into an imaginary world of fantasy.
Through the aid of a relief agency, he obtained employment as a chauffeur for a wealthy family. His first assignment was to drive Mary Dalton, his employer’s daughter, to the university. Mary, however, was on her way to meet Jan Erlone, her sweetheart. The three of them, Mary and...
[The entire page is 2855 words long]
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