While Wright recreates Nixon’s historically controversial execution in the life of his ‘Native Son’ book character, Bigger Thomas, based on Bigger’s obvious crime of murder, the author at the same time tries to offer a broader perspective on the psychology behind Bigger’s actions, and much of this takes the reader back through Bigger’s struggles as a black man from a poor family and with little to no social opportunities.
“Spoiler Free” Native Son Summary
As Bigger crushes a scared black rat with a skillet in his family’s one-room apartment, you can feel him unleashing his rage, pain, and frustration on the poor thing.
Bigger is one of the victims of racial discrimination and oppression, and his painful experiences as a black young man trying to survive have dampened his outlook on life. He is filled with fear, hate, and rage for white people who are the oppressors of his people.
Bigger, part-time, pursues a life of crime with his dangerous friends as he imagines that to be his only chance of making money and supporting his mother, who doesn’t pass up a chance to harass him for not bringing anything to the table.
He soon finds a way out, or perhaps what looks like a way out of his misery and dangerous businesses, when a white billionaire businessman offers him a job to work as a private family driver. Although it’s not Bigger’s dream job, he feels excited and positive again about life, but his first day on the job becomes the start of the worst days of his life.
Native Son Full Summary
Warning – This article contains important details and spoilers
Richard Wright tells the story in ‘Native Son’ in the third person from the perspective of Bigger Thomas and begins in a one-room apartment in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Chicago. Bigger, Ma his mother, Buddy, and Vera, his brother and sister live here, and just then, a mouse scares his sister, and Bigger kills it with a saucepan then hears out because he has a job interview with Henry Dalton, a wealthy white businessman.
Bigger takes a detour and hangs out with his friends and gang members – Gus, GH, and Jack – at a public snooker shop owned by a black older man they call Doc. At Doc’s, the gang designs a scheme to rob a small-time white businessman in the area, but soon have a disagreement, resulting in Bigger threatening Gus with a knife. Doc throws them out of his shop for causing a nuisance.
Bigger goes for his interview with Henry Dalton and is employed as a private driver for the Daltons. Bigger’s job begins in the evening as he is instructed to take Mary to her evening school. On their way, Mary orders Bigger to detour to Jan’s to get him and then convinces Bigger to take them to a local pub in the black neighborhood. There, they have food and drink together and Bigger drives Mary – who’s now tipsy – back home after dropping off Jan at his place.
Bigger helps Mary to her room, but while he’s in there, Mary’s blind mother, Mrs. Dalton enters the room. Bigger is petrified of being found out, so he covers Mary’s head with a pillow to prevent her from selling him out, and when Mrs. Dalton leaves, he is shocked that Mary has died from suffocation.
Scared and confused, Bigger smuggles Mary’s body and burns it in the mansion’s furnace. The following day, Bigger is questioned by Britten, who has been hired to investigate why Mary is missing, but Bigger lies that Mary’s boyfriend Jan stayed with her late at night and could know her whereabouts. As Jan is called in, he denies the allegations, and when later confronts Bigger privately, Bigger pulls a gat and scares Jan away.
Being criminally creative, Bigger conceives an idea to try and make money out of the situation, so he writes an anonymous letter claiming that Mary has been kidnapped to be released if Henry Dalton pays a 10,000-dollar ransom. Dalton finds the letter briefing at his home and agrees publicly he would pay such ransom; however, Bigger, who is seen cleaning the furnace, clumsily drops some ashes containing Mary’s bones on the floor and flees.
Aware he is being trailed by a white mob, Bigger takes asylum in the home of Bessie, his girlfriend. Once Bigger fesses up, Bessie is petrified, and while they hide around together, Bigger rapes Bessie, and when she falls asleep, he murders her with a brick to the head as he couldn’t trust her to not rat him out.
Bigger roams around for a while but is eventually caught and taken into custody. He is tried and convicted for murder and rape, and although Jan has his lawyer friend Max try to get a lesser sentence, Bigger still gets a death sentence. While in prison, Bigger’s mother Ma arranges for a preacher to convert him. Bigger doesn’t believe in the immortality of the soul; however, he expresses appreciation to Jan and Max for all their efforts and understanding.
FAQs
What happened in ‘Native Son’ by Richard Wright?
‘Native Son’ is a book that tells the story of a frustrated young man who gets into serious trouble as he tries to survive amid the harsh conditions for people with his skin color.
Who is Bigger Thomas?
Bigger is a 20-year-old black male character of Richard Wright and the point man whose touching story of struggle is being told in ‘Native Son.’
Why does Bigger hate white people so much?
Bigger blames white people for his misery because his society is run by white supremacists who segregate black people like him and impede their progress.
Did Bigger get away with murder in ‘Native Son’?
Bigger is eventually caught by the police while he tries to hide out in a semi-completed building and charged for two counts of murder a rape.