Monday, March 15, 2010

Native Son

Native Son,
This was a really interesting story for me. I enjoyed seeing the different characters develop and take shape and the plot went on. From the very start of the novel the difference between white and black people in society is clear. In the first few pages of the story Bigger admits that he needs his weapons because he feels as if it makes him equal to the white person. As if it puts them on the same playing field. How crazy is that? He needs some sort of deadly force just to feel like a person that belongs.
I liked the character Bigger. He was really interesting to me. He brought the contrast between the races right in front of your face. I liked how the author made Bigger complex with his thought and with his words. When he spoke out loud to a white person he was always soft spoken and never really looked at them. They made him nervous and he didn’t want any confrontation with them what so ever. But then his thoughts were loud and full of swearing and attitude. The contrast is really neat. How society places such a weight on races that he confines himself so much to fit into the mold.
The daughter didn’t really surprise me with her actions. She was odd and crazy but it seemed to fit the character. I was disappointed in bigger at the end of the novel when he almost rapes the girl and then kills her trying to hide himself. It was if he confirmed what society though of him. He was good trying to keep to himself and stay out of trouble and the reader falls in love with him for that. But then he ruins everything and stoops to the level he was trying to stay out of.

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