Transition Of Bigger Thomas In NativeSon Essay

, Research Paper

Character Analysis of Bigger Thomas

By Daniel Smith

The book Native Son by Richard Wright portrays a young black man in the American civilization during the 1940?s. Bigger is used by Wright to symbolize many things in life, some greater, some smaller. He uses Bigger to show feelings and tension between the white and black community as well as tension between conformists and rebels. The story provides a container in which all the feelings from Wright?s life and experiences can be poured together for analysis and interpretation.

The novel is separated into 3 smaller “books” in which Bigger undergoes many internal changes. At first, Bigger is very insecure. He is callous on the outside, but frightened and upset inside. He changes from this after the murder to a man that is sure of himself and critical of others. This is followed by the metamorphosis into a form that is less than human; he cuts off all contact with the outside world. This separation in the story also allows a distinct structure for the feelings and actions between the whites and blacks. The feelings are progressed from an initial state of ignorance and salutary neglect to a hot pursuit and prosecution.

At first, Bigger is much like most American teenagers. He presents a very callous and rebellious image to those who see him, but inside is very insecure. He many times relies on the fear and lack of courage from others to project his own self esteem and ego. Such an event is that of the fight with Gus. Bigger and his friends are formulating the possibility and plan to rob a local store. This event would be no different from others performed in the past by this group of teenagers except for the fact that this store is owned by a white man. Bigger exploits Gus? fear of robbing the store in order to cover up his own lack of courage. G.H., one of the other boys in the group, begins to notice Bigger?s plan and slips into the conversation the statement, “Ain?t none of us got more guts?n Gus, He?s been with us every time.” (P38) This was cast away by Bigger by saying, “Don?t tell me I?m nervous.” (P39) Bigger supports his callous exterior and insecurity by the way he treats his family. He communicates a sense of superiority over his family members in order to feed his internal furnace of social uneasiness. Along with this condemning of his family, comes his feelings towards religion, especially his mother?s affiliation. He feels very strongly about the way his people are treated by the whites; he believes that organized religion opiates blacks to “blindly” wander through life with the constant goal of reaching heaven in order to rid themselves of this mistreatment. Bigger feels that the only way to defend himself against society?s harms are to be a nonconformist and rebel against the ways and laws set upon him by this race of equal, yet superior beings that feel they have the power to control his life. This is a double-standard that Bigger holds very unjustly of others; he treats his family members and friends in the same way that the whites treat the blacks.

After Bigger accepts the job with the Dalton family and so dutifully executes his employer?s request, he is backed into a corner in which escape is impossible. After the murder of Mary Dalton and the disposal of the corpse, Bigger undergoes an incredible change. He allows what he has presented to civilization to penetrate and infect his internal reasoning and self image. He convinces himself that he planned and executed the murder on purpose and is now a better person because of it. He begins to allow himself to slip into a mindset of superiority over all people. He feels that what he has accomplished internally by killing Mary is unequal and unparalleled by any of his peers and family members. From this point on, Bigger begins to subject every soul he encounters to a test of character. He compares his image of them to the image he holds of his newly reformed self; from this test he draws his belief of superiority. After judging many people, Bigger realizes what has come over him, he realizes what has changed about his mentality, he understands why and how society has demoted itself to it?s current state of civil war; Bigger feels he has opened his eyes and can now see the inner workings of society and it?s incessant movement of tension. This revolutionary thought flicks on inside Bigger?s brain like a light switch, he is immediately transformed and begins to attempt to rationalize the behavior of humans. He concludes from this that most people are blind and cannot see what he can now so easily interpret; he feels that if everyone could have a glimpse at the world through his point of view, that society would be changed forever. The statement “It?s just like living in jail. Half the time I feel like I?m on the outside of the world peeping in through a knot-hole in the fence?” (P23) shows how Bigger once perceived the world, and what the people that he deems “blind” are still seeing.

The metamorphosis from his initial state to his reformed and “open-eyed” existence brought symbols with greater meanings. Bigger?s treatment of his family members was the start of a virus within his subconscious that was further progressed by his recent revelation. As he evolved into this unique and isolated being, his life and actions began to parallel the history and development of the civilization from which he was cre