Native Son

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Summary: an utterly fascinating and compelling novel
Review: I did not enjoy reading this book, but it is an extremely importanat piece of literature. My reasons for not liking it are seeded in the effectiveness of Wright's storytelling devices...being inside Bigger's head was sometimes more than I could handle, and closing the book to return to my sane reality was often a relief. The intended message however can be corrupted by those lacking the capacity or the desire to read into a frighteningly dark novel. Wright does not seek to justify the horrible crimes of a severely opressed individual, but instead presents of view of society that should serve as a lesson for the concievable.

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Summary: Wright brings out the psychology of an isolated community
Review: I am a young individual and I don't read many books and personally I didn't even think that I had the mentalilty to keep up with what was going on in the novel, however as I read I began to understand the history and purity of the black community. Through the life and death of Bigger Thomas, Wright brings out the psychology of his people. The character of Bigger Thomas is depicted as "the voice of 20 million negroes". This novel gives you a upfront view of what life was like for the blacks in the 1930s. This is a novel that I will remember for the rest of my life

Rating:
Summary: enlightening story of how experience forms attitudes
Review: Native Son, by Richard Wright, is an excellent resource for those who want to feel racism in order to understand the roots of current political and cultural attitudes in this country, or anyone who wants to understand how disparate the peoples of this nation were in the 30s and what happens when their worlds collide. None of the incredible details could have taken place without the communists, the ultimate irony. This highlights the importance of understanding a culture before trying to "help" those who subscribe to it, a concept relevant not only to black/white relaions in this country, but also to any social program initiated by one group to aid another about which it knows too little. One comment on another review of this book, in case you've read it, the protagonist of this book is NOT an honest hardworking young man, though it doesn't seem that that fact winds up having much relevance in the motivation of the crime central to the novel. Read this novel to see what happens ANYtime one group tries to "blot out" another (an in any example of colonialism).

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Summary: VICTIM AND VICTIMIZER
Review: Native Son, a novel based on social standards in America. Bigger Thomas was a product of a victim in society. Bigger was brought up in a society where his ethnicity was consider inferior to the whites. BUT Bigger victimized those who tried to help him.

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Summary: This novel put a wrong twist on murder and rape.
Review: This novel gave the impression that murder and rape are okay just as long as the people you kill were mean to you and you are stupid. Bigger had no just cause of the two murders he commited and no matter what you have been through or the color of you skin you have no right to kill two very innocent girls.

Rating:
Summary: A very well written book with a major philosophical defect.
Review: While Richard Wright does an excellent job of writing the book and depicting Bigger's (The main character) feelings and motivations, he has a major problem: He portrays Bigger as a human without a conscience both through Bigger's thoughts and through Max's (Bigger's lawyer) testimony. By doing this, he (shockingly) arrives at the conclusion that Bigger is not responsible for his two gruesome murders. The one redeeming quality of the book (when it's not graphically depicting violence and sex) is that it inspires a large amount of thought.

Rating:
Summary: Disturbing, Yet Boring
Review: The first part of the book kept my interest with odd action, but as Wright preaches to the reader through Bigger's lawyer near the end, the book takes a turn for the worst. This book was overall terrible.

Rating:
Summary: A LENGTHY BUT INTERESTING BOOK!
Review: Native Son is a long but wonderful book. The main theme in the book would have to be fear not guilt. What Bigger (the main character) fears is himself. Native Son is divided into 3 books which begins very fast but slows down by book 3. Very interesting reading with many different themes involved.

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Summary: SENSE OF GUILT
Review: The main theme in the book by Wright is that of guilt.This theme of guilt is so integral in the novel "Native Son".Among other things it explains the motives,attitude and feelings,behaviour of the characters and how they react to racial oppression and segregation in America.Basis of this guilt can be traced to the white sense of guilt emerging from the enslavement of the blacks/negroes.A sense of guilt which self interest and fear will not allow the whites to atone for.The whites know that their lives are based on exploitation of the blacks,that it is the negro who has provided them with all the luxury without adequate compensation.The negro and for that matter Bigger Thomas has become an object of guilt and the reaction of the white to this guilt feelings come in different forms. While some fear rebellion from the negro/blacks other express rage at the negro/blacks while yet another group engage in acts of charity based on the need to salve their guilty conscience.An example of such people whose guilt has transformed them into philantropist are the Daltons' Family. Such is the observation of life in the inner city of the ghettos and anyone seeking to understand the basis for the actions of negro as expressed by Bigger Thomas against the arrogant of society could do far worse than read this book

Rating:
Summary: Terror and fear as illusory compensations for actions
Review: Native Son was a supurb novel in which Richard Wright strives to present the struggle between a young black man and his fears. this young man, Bigger Thomas, is compelled by his fears to commit unthinkable acts of violence. In reality these acts are merely the only form of avengence and retalliation know to any person in Bigger's situation. Through rich symbolism and imagery, Wright creates an antihero who is able to physchologically capture the love of everyone. His acts of violence are proven to be mere copmensations of his fear but because of the time frame ( the 1930's) is simply not understood because of the color of his skin.