Book Review Series#4: Native Son by Richard Wright

"Though he had killed by accident, not once did he feel the need to tell himself, that it had been an accident. He was black and he had been alone in the room where a white girl had been killed: therefore he had killed her. That was what everyone would say, anyhow, no matter what he said."

“Native Son" by Richard Wright is a story about Bigger, a twenty-year-old young man who lives in a rat-infested one-room apartment with his family members, in the Southside of Chicago( The Black Belt). Native Son was written in 1940, during a time when racism was prevalent in the American society.
Richard Wright, through the novel, sheds light on the life of the average black American, in the 1940s. Bigger Thomas is a victim of fear and anguish which grips him because of the overwhelming segregation in the society which he lives in. As a result of this fear, he commits murder.
Bigger feels trapped. He feels like he has to live within the laid down doctrines of the white people. He has dreams of becoming a pilot but these dreams are cut short by racism. In the 1940s, black people weren't allowed to fly planes. Bigger and every other black person living in the black belt are all exploited by rich white moguls who charge them exuberant amounts for rent.
The novel is divided into three parts: Fear, Flight and Fate. The activities in the novel take place within a span of one week. The themes of racism, class oppression, violence and fear are all embedded in the novel.

An excellent and insightful novel, it is.