Week of November 7th--Native Son!
1. In the introduction, written by the author Richard Wright, Wright discusses at length the making of his protagonist, Bigger Thomas; he reflects on his childhood all the way up to his adulthood, and outlines specific examples of when he met a Bigger and the informing aspect of each incident. Please discuss the many Biggers that Wright experienced in the course of his life, and what did they ALL have in common. Please use concrete details to support your analysis.
2. Analyze the following quote from the introduction to Native Son, written by Richard Wright:
From these items I drew my first political conclusions about Bigger: I felt that Bigger, an American product, a native son of this land, carried within him the potentialities of either Communism or Fascism. I don’t mean to say that the Negro boy I depicted in Native Son is either a Communist or a Fascist. He is not either. But he is product of a dislocated society; he is a dispossessed or disinherited man; he is all of this, and he lives amid the greatest possible plenty on earth and he is looking and feeling for a way out.
3. What is at the heart of Bigger’s fears?
1. The five Biggers that Richard Wright experienced were all tough and rebellious (more specifically, they all violate the Jim Crow laws.) At the same time however, they all also happen to have some slightly different personalities which makes each of them unique. While reflecting back on the past, Richard thought, “That was the way Bigger No. 1, lived. His life was a continuous challenge to others. At all times he took his way. Right or wrong, and those who contradicted him had him to fight.”(page 435.) The first Bigger Richard met is mostly a stubborn rebel without/with (depends on what happens to him) a cause. Not only that, he is mostly a bully towards Africa Americans and whites alike. While reflecting on his times with Bigger number two, “And the hardness of this Bigger No. 2 was not directed toward me or the other Negros. But toward the whites who ruled the South…Of course, he had no money, but neither did we.”(page 435.) Bigger is stubborn, however, he mostly takes his stubbornness out on whites because of the Great Depression. Even during the Great Depression, the majority of white people still had more wealth than the African Americans. During Richard’s encounter with Bigger number four, “And then there was Bigger No.4, whose only law was death. The Jim Crow laws of the South were not for him. But as he laughed and cursed and broke them, he knew that someday he’d have to pay for his freedom.” (page 436.) Bigger four, just like Bigger number two is a stubborn rebel with a cause. However, he is also someone who has a “little more brains”(he thinks a little farther into the future while at the same time he savors what is left of the present.) (Athena Baker, first time.)
ReplyDelete2. The quote means that Bigger is a member of the African American community during the late 1930’s who also happens to try and rebel against the Jim Crow laws. In that time period, there was already a high population of African Americas. So to make sure that none of the white plantation owners lose their money and power, they took away the rights of African Americans. This therefore created the Jim Crow Laws in the South. To Richard Wright, “But he is product of a dislocated society; he is a dispossessed or disinherited man…” Bigger and the rest of the African Americans were very poor and in a way isolated from the rest of the “white America.” Also, the Jim Crow Laws made life very harsh for Bigger and African Americans like him alike. According to Wright, “I felt that Bigger, an American product, a native son of this land, carried within him the potentialities of either Communism or Fascism.” Bigger does want to be just like the white people and have their “glitter and gold.” At the same time however, he wants to stand up to the white people and demand a share of power. Despite Bigger’s flaws, “He is all of this, and he lives amid the greatest possible plenty on earth and he is looking and feeling for a way out.” Bigger in a way is like a prophet towards African Americas. Also, he is like a role model for his own people to stand up and fight for what they believe is right.
ReplyDelete3. At the heart of Bigger’s fears is his want for the luxuries of the whites and want to be an outsider from his own people. As Richard Wright pondered over the question on Bigger’s rebellious personality, “First, through some quick of circumstance, he had become estranged from the religion and folk culture of his race.”(page 439.) Bigger is a rebel. So he is trying to prove that not all African Americans like to be “servant like” and follow all the rules of a white person. According to Richard Wright, “Second, he was trying to react to and answer the call of the dominant civilization whose glitter came to him through the newspapers…and sound of daily American life.”(page 439.) Bigger wants to let the whites know that the Jim Crow laws are not fair. Also, he is trying to prove that the African Americans are just like the white people. According to many people, “In many respects his emergence as a distinct type was inevitable.”(page 439.) Bigger, in a way, is not only a rebel, but also a leader for his people to follow. Also, he is a great influencer for many emerging African American leaders/speakers like Malcom X. (Athena Baker, first time.)
FIRST TIME (Avery Dargie)
ReplyDelete1. All of the, "Biggers," that Richard Wright had come across in his life all had one common theme within them: they all had a problem with following the Jim Crow's Laws (or the laws that are enforced to keep segregation). Bigger #1 had a swagger that would probably get him in trouble and Mr.Wright had no idea where he ended up. Bigger #2 lived just as Richard Wright had (not truly having a lot, but managing) and this Bigger #2 went to prison. "Bigger #3 was what the white folk called the 'bad nigger.'" (pg.435) Bigger #3 made the people in the movie theater mad at him for not paying. While he was delivering alcohol was shot in the back by a cop. Bigger #4 was one who broke all the laws and skated on the ice of trouble and consequence. Bigger #4 was sent to an insane asylum. Bigger #5 was the kind of man who sat at the front of the bus and thought he should be allowed, and Richard Wright has no idea what happened to him.
1. The five Biggers that Richard Wright experienced were all tough and rebellious (more specifically, they all violate the Jim Crow laws.) At the same time however, they all also happen to have some slightly different personalities which makes each of them unique: Bigger number one is a bully towards whites and African Americans alike, Bigger number two is simply broke and uses a lot of white facilities (even when he could not afford to use them), Bigger number three is someone who likes breaking any rules he could find, Bigger number four is someone who absolutely hates the Jim Crow laws and breaks them in any way he can, and Bigger number five simply rides the Jim Crow buses in the “white’s only” spot(he even does this without paying for the bus fees at times. Also, that was not allowed for African Americans or any other colored person to do so.) So whenever the bus driver tells him to get off, the fifth Bigger would simply pull a knife out in front of the driver. At the end of their actions, all five Biggers were either injured mentally, physically, or simply killed. While reflecting back on the past, Richard thought, “That was the way Bigger No. 1, lived…And never was he happier than when he had someone cornered and at his mercy…”(page 435.) Bigger number one is mostly carefree. Also, to him, getting in trouble is a privilege for an African American like him. While reflecting on his times with Bigger number two, “And the hardness of this Bigger No. 2 was not directed toward me or the other Negros. But toward the whites who ruled the South…Of course, he had no money, but neither did we.”(page 435.) Bigger number two is stubborn; however, he mostly takes his stubbornness out on whites because of the Great Depression. Even during the Great Depression, the majority of white people still had more wealth than the African Americans. During Richard’s encounter with Bigger number four, “And then there was Bigger No.4, whose only law was death. The Jim Crow laws of the South were not for him. But as he laughed and cursed and broke them, he knew that someday he’d have to pay for his freedom…Bigger No.4 was sent to the asylum for the insane.” (page 436.) Bigger four, just like Bigger number two is a stubborn rebel with a cause. However, he is also the more eccentric one in the “Bigger group.” (Athena Baker, second time, part one.)
ReplyDelete2. The quote means that African Americans in America were denied their basic rights to speech, voting, press and other rights (even though in actuality they’re American as well.) In that time period, there was already a high population of African Americas. So to make sure that none of the white plantation owners lose their money and power, they took away the rights of African Americans. They did that by creating the Jim Crow laws in the South. Also, there are people all over the world who are simply oppressed (just like Bigger.) In the end however, these “foreign Biggers” stand up to their oppressors and throw them out. According to Richard Wright, “ This separation was accomplished after the Civil War by the terror of the Ku Klux Klan, which swept the newly freed Negro through arson, pillage, and death out of the United States Senate…”(page 437.) The Ku Klux Klan is a terrorist organization whose goal is to murder, terrorize, or harm any African Americans in any way. Even today there are still some groups around the world who are like the Ku Klux Klan(for example, the janjaweed in Darfur, Sudan.) During Lenin and Gorky’s exile in London, “Lenin turned to Gorky and, pointing, said: ‘There is their Big Ben.’ ‘There is their Westminster Abbey…’ “(page 443.) The word “their” is emphasized to connect how the African Americas felt when their own rights were taken away by the white people (in Richard Wright’s view.) Also, the word “their” is emphasized to show how oppressed people in other countries (such as the Jewish people in Germany during the Holocaust) felt when their rights are taken away. As Bigger continues to feel the urge to rebel against the Jim Crow laws of the south, “First, through some quirk of circumstance, he had become estranged from the religion and the folk culture of his race. Second, he was trying to react to and answer the call of dominance civilization whose glitter came to him through the newspapers…” (page 439.) People (especially oppressed groups of people) tend to change even during the rough times. When that happens, some of those people would eventually lose their dignity.
ReplyDelete3. At the heart of Bigger’s fears is his fear of losing his dignity. As Richard Wright pondered over the question on Bigger’s rebellious personality, “First, through some quick of circumstance, he had become estranged from the religion and folk culture of his race.”(page 439.) Bigger is a rebel. So he is trying to prove that not all African Americans like to be “servant like” and follow all the rules of a white person. According to Richard Wright, “According to many people, “In many respects his emergence as a distinct type was inevitable.”(page 439.) Bigger, in a way, is not only a rebel, but also a leader for his people to follow. He lost his dignity as an African American to save himself from forever being slave like. As Wright continued trying to create his Native Son Bigger, “I don’t mean to say that the Negro Boy (Bigger Thomas) I depicted in Native Son is either a communist or a Fascist. He is not either. But he is a product of a dislocated society…” (page 446.) Bigger (at times) tends to get confused over who he really is. As he progresses in the story however, he tends to get the feeling that doing what he thinks is right is better than knowing who he really is deep down inside. (Athena Baker, second time, part two.)
http://www.ornl.gov/adm/hr_ornl/bhm2007/images/colored.gif
ReplyDeleteThe link above is an old picture from the 1930s of a "colored only spot" for a train station. It is an example of how the Jim Crow laws were effective in the 1930's in the south of America. (Athena Baker.)
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ReplyDeletehttp://silas216.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/1930-lynching.jpg
ReplyDeleteThe link above is an old picture of African Americas being hung to a tree in the 1930's. The cause of their actual death is unknown. However, this is an example of a certain type of punishment an African American would get if any of them tried to rebel against the Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow laws are laws which segerated whites from African Americans(or any other colored race, if available.)They play a big role as to why the protagonist, Bigger decided to rebel against the white people and their laws. (Athena Baker.)
1. The Biggers he met are as follows:
ReplyDeleteBigger No. 1- A boy that terrorized Wright and his friends in his childhood. He would steal from them and never give their items back, he would also “clout” other children. The only way that Wright could get his toys back was the flatter the boy and make him feel superior to everyone else. Wright also writes that he also suspects that his end was violent.
Bigger No. 2- He was around seventeen and tougher than the first. However, instead of being directed at Wright, he was directed at the whites of the south. He broke most Jim Crow laws and had no respect for the white race. He would also steal what he needed from the whites. Wright writes that he was in prison the last time he saw him.
Bigger No. 3- Was referred to by white people as a “bad nigger”. He would take advantage of other people and do what he wanted. Bigger No. 3 was later killed by a white cop.
Bigger No. 4- Did not follow the Jim Crow laws of the south. His moods often varied from happy to depressed. He had no job because he regarded any physical labor as “slavery”. He ended up in an insane asylum.
Bigger No. 5- Also broke Jim Crow laws, never paid for riding street cars and sat wherever he wanted. He was very aggressive against white people, also.
Sorry, the post above is mine also
ReplyDelete1.
One of the things the Biggers have in common is that they all rebelled against the Jim Crow laws in the south. Some of them did this by sitting wherever they pleased on public buses, not paying before entering movie theatres and even sometimes threatening whites. The text reads “The conductor flared up: “Get out of that seat!” Bigger took out his knife, opened it, held it nonchalantly in his hands, and replied: “Make me.” The conductor turned red, blinked, clenched his firsts and walked away…..”(page 436-437). Another thing they all had in common is that they were bullies of some sort. They took what they wanted and seemed to lead lawless lifestyles. They also all had bad “endings”. “They were shot, hanged, maimed, lynched, and generally hounded until they were either dead or had their spirits broken.”(page 437). Their rebellious acts towards white people ended in all of their downfalls.
2.
In America around this time was the great depression. Times were hard for whites and even harder for blacks, especially in the South. The whites did not want the blacks to have any power in government, didn’t want them to own any franchises, have any money and in general didn’t want them to obtain any type of power, for fear that they would grow more powerful than them. Wright could have followed communism and fascism because some aspects of these two types of government are that everyone is equal. This quote could also be saying that the blacks live in America, which is often referred to as the land of opportunity, but none of the opportunities are open to them, this is similar to the saying about the horse and the carrot.
3.
Maybe he fears that blacks will never escape the racism in America, he could feel as if his race will never progress and will always be under the white man. In the story it talks about how blacks were never allowed to have the opportunities that the white man could have, such as own franchises. Also he could be afraid because he is about to be interviewed for a job from a white man and maybe he is scared that he won’t get the job and won’t be able to support his family.
Cypress Austin- First time
1.
ReplyDeleteAll of the Biggers in the introduction had one main thing in common: they all had bad endings to their lives, whether it was being killed, ending up in an insane asylum or jail. They also rebelled against the Jim Crow laws which goes in hand with hating white people. Most of them violated not only the Jim Crow laws, but also the law in general, for example Bigger number 5 pulled out a knife on a white man while riding the bus when he was asked to move. Along with hating white people, these Biggers were also mean to their own race.
2.
I think that this quote shows how Bigger Thomas can be associated with the Russians and Germans at the time. I think the even picture is that Biggers are not just of one race, but there are Biggers all around the world of every race. The text reads “Lenin turned to Gorky and, pointing, said: “Here is their Big Ben.” “There is their Westminister Abbey.” “There is their library”(443). This quote is from Lenin and Gorky when they were exiled to Britain. This relates to the blacks because even though they lived in America, nothing was theres, they were deprived of anything good that any white person could obtain.
3.
After discussion I now feel as if Bigger is essentially afraid of himself. A quote from the text reads “Gus and Jack and G.H. hate and fear him as much as he hated and feared himself”(29). I think the reason for him being scared of himself is because he doesn’t know the extent of his temper/ what he will or can do if he gets mad enough. Especially since he has a tendency to get hot headed very easily. He could also be afraid of the person he has become because of living in such a hard environment. Wright writes “These were the rhythms of his life: indifference and violence; periods of abstract brooding and periods of intense desire; moments of silence and moments of anger-like water ebbing and flowing from the tug of a far-away, invisible force”(29). If the rhythms were his life are indifference and violence there is no doubt he is a bad person and most likely has most things about himself/ his life.
Cypress Austin- Second time
1.
ReplyDeleteEvery Bigger was “shot, hanged, maimed, lynched, and generally hounded until they were either dead or had their spirits broken.”(437). They all violated/ rebelled against the Jim Crow laws of the south and even violated the regular laws. The Biggers resented white people and they didn’t like blacks too much either. Also, a weird fact that I noticed is that they got worse as the numbers got bigger. Bigger 1 was a Wright’s childhood bully and Bigger number pulls knifes out on white people.
2.
I think that this quote was put in the book to show that there are Biggers everyone, in every race, in every country. In this quote he relates Biggers to Germans and Russians at the time, because they were both going through similar problems with racism at the time. The text reads “Lenin turned to Gorky and, pointing, said: “Here is their Big Ben.” “There is their Westminister Abbey.” “There is their library”(443). This quote is from Lenin and Gorky when they were exiled to Britain. It shows how, even though Lenin and Gorky lived amongst the people of that country, nothing was theirs and they would never have the same opportunities as the people native to there, just because of what they were. This mirrors the situation blacks were put in while in America. They couldn’t obtain any power at all, just because of what/ who they were.
3.
In conclusion, I think that Bigger feared many things, one of them being white people. I think he was scared of what the future would hold for him in his race and for him in general. I could tell he was uncomfortable around white people because when he went into Mr. Dalton’s house to be interviewed he didn’t look him in the face once, he looked at the floor the entire time. Also, Bigger is afraid of himself. The text reads “Gus and Jack and G.H. hate and fear him as much as he hated and feared himself”(29). He was scared of himself because he was so hot headed and didn’t know what he was capable of. In the story it informs the reader that Bigger’s past was not so bright and he was almost arrested for stealing. Maybe Bigger knew that in the future he was bound to do something worse that would put him in even more trouble than before. The last thing I found that Bigger is afraid of is the world. The text reads, “The moment a situation became so that it exacted something of him, he rebelled. That was the way he lived; he passed his days trying to defeat or gratify powerful impulses in a world he feared.”(42). He most likely fears the world for the same reason he feels white people, he feels like him and his people are never going to progress and are never going to be able to have some of the opportunities that whites do.
Cypress Austin- Third time
1. The five Biggers that Richard Wright experienced were all tough and rebellious (more specifically, they all violate the Jim Crow laws.) At the same time however, they all also happen to have some slightly different personalities which makes each of them unique: Bigger number one is a bully towards whites and African Americans alike, Bigger number two is simply poor and tends to use the “white’s only” facilities whenever possible, Bigger number three is not necessarily a bully, (however he does have a passion for breaking rules, especially the rules of the Jim Crow laws), Bigger number four simply only breaks the Jim Crow Laws in any way he can , and Bigger number five only rides in the “white’s only spot” on the Jim Crow Laws(even though he knows he will get in trouble with the law. ) At the end of their actions, all five Biggers were either injured mentally, physically, or simply killed. While reflecting back on the past, Richard thought, “That was the way Bigger No. 1, lived…And never was he happier than when he had someone cornered and at his mercy…”(page 435.) Bigger number one is mostly carefree. Also, to him, getting in trouble is a privilege for an African American like him. While reflecting on his times with Bigger number two, “And the hardness of this Bigger No. 2 was not directed toward me or the other Negros. But toward the whites who ruled the South…Of course, he had no money, but neither did we.”(page 435.) Bigger number two is stubborn; however, he mostly takes his stubbornness out on whites because of the Great Depression. Even during the Great Depression, the majority of white people still had more wealth than the African Americans. During Richard’s encounter with Bigger number four, “And then there was Bigger No.4, whose only law was death. The Jim Crow laws of the South were not for him. But as he laughed and cursed and broke them, he knew that someday he’d have to pay for his freedom…Bigger No.4 was sent to the asylum for the insane.” (page 436.) Bigger four, just like Bigger number two is a stubborn rebel with a cause. However, he is also the more eccentric one in the “Bigger group.” (Athena Baker, third time, part one.)
ReplyDelete2. The quote means that African Americans in America were denied their basic rights to speech, voting, press and other rights (even though in actuality they’re American as well.) In that time period, there is already a high population of African Americans. So to make sure that none of the white plantation owners lose their money and power, they took away their rights(which is how the Jim Crow laws are formed.) Also, according to Wright, there are people around the world who are oppressed by groups of people who are far more “superior” to them (such as the Jewish people during the Holocaust.) In the end however, these groups of “foreign Biggers” stand up to their oppressors and throw them out. According to Richard Wright, “ This separation was accomplished after the Civil War by the terror of the Ku Klux Klan, which swept the newly freed Negro through arson, pillage, and death out of the United States Senate…”(page 437.) No one tries to stop the Ku Klux Klan from terrorizing and murdering many of the African Americans because for one, many of the police members are members of the Ku Klux Klan. Also, not all of the white people at the time are ready to give up their “servants.” During Lenin and Gorky’s exile in London, “Lenin turned to Gorky and, pointing, said: ‘There is their Big Ben…’ “(page 443.) The word “their” is emphasized to connect how the African Americas felt when their own rights were taken away by the white people (in Richard Wright’s view.) Also, the word “their” is emphasized to show how oppressed people in other countries (such as the Jewish people in Germany during the Holocaust) felt when their rights are taken away. As Bigger continues to feel the urge to rebel against the Jim Crow laws of the south, “First, through some quirk of circumstance, he had become estranged from the religion and the folk culture of his race. Second, he was trying to react to and answer the call of dominance civilization whose glitter came to him through the newspapers…” (page 439.) People (especially oppressed groups of people) tend to change even during the rough times. When that happens, some of those people would eventually lose their dignity.
ReplyDelete3. At the heart of Bigger’s fears is his fear of him forever being an example of the African American stereotype (to all African Americans, it is a privilege for them to be servants to white people. Also, all African Americans cannot think for themselves.) As Richard Wright pondered over the question on Bigger’s rebellious personality, “First, through some quick of circumstance, he had become estranged from the religion and folk culture of his race.”(page 439.) Bigger is a rebel. So he is trying to prove that not all African Americans like to be “servant like” and follow all the rules of a white person. According to Richard Wright, According to many people, “In many respects his emergence as a distinct type was inevitable.”(page 439.) Bigger, in a way, is not only a rebel, but also a leader for his people to follow. He chooses to be a leader to prove to the white people that even an African American can think for him/herself. As Wright continued trying to create his Native Son Bigger, “I don’t mean to say that the Negro Boy (Bigger Thomas) I depicted in Native Son is either a communist or a Fascist. He is not either. But he is a product of a dislocated society…” (page 446.) Bigger (at times) tends to get confused over who he really is. As he progresses in the story however, he tends to get the feeling that doing what he thinks is right is better than sticking to what other people say who he really is. (Athena Baker, third time, part two)
AVERY DARGIE (SECOND TIME)
ReplyDelete1. In the introduction, written by the author Richard Wright, Wright discusses at length the making of his protagonist, Bigger Thomas; he reflects on his childhood all the way up to his adulthood, and outlines specific examples of when he met a Bigger and the informing aspect of each incident. Please discuss the many Biggers that Wright experienced in the course of his life, and what did they ALL have in common. Please use concrete details to support your analysis.
All of the, "Biggers," that Richard Wright had come across in his life all had one common theme within them: they all had a problem with following the Jim Crow's Laws (or the laws that are enforced to keep segregation). Bigger #1 had a swagger that would probably get him in trouble and Mr.Wright had no idea where he ended up. Bigger #2 lived just as Richard Wright had (not truly having a lot, but managing) and this Bigger #2 went to prison. "Bigger #3 was what the white folk called the 'bad nigger.'" (pg.435) Bigger #3 made the people in the movie theater mad at him for not paying. While he was delivering alcohol was shot in the back by a cop. Bigger #4 was one who broke all the laws and skated on the ice of trouble and consequence. Bigger #4 was sent to an insane asylum. Bigger #5 was the kind of man who sat at the front of the bus and thought he should be allowed, and Richard Wright has no idea what happened to him. All of the Bigger's instilled something into Wright that made them noted in his brain enough to put in his book. I think it was all of their lack of care for the Jim Crow's Laws that kept them separated from the white folk.
2. Analyze the following quote from the introduction to Native Son, written by Richard Wright:
From these items I drew my first political conclusions about Bigger: I felt that Bigger, an American product, a native son of this land, carried within him the potentialities of either Communism or Fascism. I don’t mean to say that the Negro boy I depicted in Native Son is either a Communist or a Fascist. He is not either. But he is product of a dislocated society; he is a dispossessed or disinherited man; he is all of this, and he lives amid the greatest possible plenty on earth and he is looking and feeling for a way out.
I believe that what Mr. Wright is trying to say is that Bigger Thomas is looking for a way where he can feel acceptance. Acceptance around the white race. He does not want to be looked down upon or told he cannot achieve something great in his life. When he is talking to Gus on the streets, he sees a plane flying in the sky. He comments about how he wants to be able to do that, "'I could fly on of them things if I had a chance,'Bigger mumbled reflectively." While he really does want to fly, he has some faced jealousy and hatred toward the white folk. "They get a chance to do everything," and, "Cause if I took a plane up I'd take a couple of bombs along and drop 'em as sure as hell..." So Bigger is looking for a way to be equal to the white, while he still has a ton of hatred towards them.
3. What is at the heart of Bigger’s fears?
Simple. At the heart of Bigger's fears is failure. He is scared that he will not be able to provide for his family, so he takes the badboy act and pretends as though he couldn't care less, but on the inside he is a scared little boy who needs to have his father figure around in order to be able to survive in the world. His mother expects Bigger to take on the world for them and provide for them, when Bigger is still just a child himself. "He hated his family because he knew that they were suffering and that he was powerless to help them...So he held toward them an attitude of iron reserve." (pg. 10)