Social Evil as the Guiding Force in the Fate of Bigger Thomas in Richard Wright's Native Son

Abstract

This is the aim of my thesis as I would like to prove that Native Son (1940) by Richard Wright has been an important literary work, which shows with what people have to face if they accept suppression as a possible and an acceptable way of life. The main character is a young, black boy who is inside society. Getting to know his life, thoughts and ambitions deeply is the most suitable device for Wright to render an authentic expression of the main message of the novel. It can be interpreted as a warning that if people do not reject all forms of oppression, the consequences will not only harm the oppressor, but the whole society.