Native Son

Research the history of communism and the way it was viewed in the United States during the Great Depression. Knowing that Richard Wright was a communist at the time he wrote the novel, in what ways is Native Son supporting communist ideals?

Read Richard Wright’s essay, “How Bigger Was Born.” How does the essay inform the novel? What does it clarify? What questions do you still have?

Some critics, including James Baldwin, argued that Richard Wright had written Bigger Thomas as a racial stereotype. Do you agree? Why or why not? How do you think that hurt or helped the novel’s purpose?

If Richard Wright was trying to write an anti-racist novel, why do you think he chose to make his protagonist guilty of such brutal crimes? How would you read the book differently if Bigger were falsely accused?

The motif of blindness is repeated throughout the book to refer to different characters. Who do you think is (metaphorically) blind in the novel? Which characters do you think open their eyes? Which ones refuse? Give specific details from the text.

The central argument of the novel is that although people are responsible for their actions, they are also a product of their environment. In what ways do you think Bigger was and wasn’t responsible for his actions? Who else is to blame?

If you were to continue the narrative within the world of the novel after Bigger’s death, which character would you choose as the new protagonist? Why? What do you think might happen in the sequel?

Research the state of Civil Rights in the 1930s, particularly in Chicago. How does the historical information you found inform the novel? What do you think prompted Wright to write it in the first place?