Social and Environmental Determinism in Richard Wright's Native Son

Abstract

Richard Wright’s Native Son highlights the reality of social and environmental determinism, wherein an oppressive and violent society determines the individual, namely, Bigger Thomas who is physically cramped into the Ghetto and is deprived from human rights. Due to the deterministic environment he has a violent and passive identity that is capable of neither expressing emotions nor of being an active agent. Unfortunately, he has to destroy in order to create a new life for himself, and the murders give him the opportunity which has been denied him all his life: the chance to create a new identity that is more expressive and active.