Rating: 
Summary: Good Book, Native Son
Review: Native Son
by
Richard Wright I read the Native Son By Richard Wright. I liked the beginning of the story because it gives you an insight to Bigger Thomas's pre-story life. It explains that Bigger had been involved in criminal activites and attended a reform school. Also in the beginning of the story, it shows his demeanor when he kills a rat in a very disgusting way. This re-enforced the fact that he was troubled. I also like that the typical stereo type of white people hating blacks is cleared up showing that even before the equal opportunity laws existed, some whites gave African Americans chances to better themselves. An example from this story would be how Mr. Dalton, aka the Rich white man, takes the risk of hiring a young black man, who has had a criminal history, to be his family's chauffer. Another instance is when Mrs. Dalton asks Bigger if he wishes to attend night school to better his education, since he was only educated to the 8th grade. Another interesting part is where the plot starts to add up. On the first night on the job, Bigger is faced with some excitement and some peculiar happenings. For instance, he is driving Mary Dalton, the Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dalton, and picks up one of Mary's friends, Jan. He is a boy with a weird name, kind of like a "Boy named Sue." Jan insists on driving. Jan happens to be a Communist and try's to push some communist pamphlets on to Bigger to show that the Communist party wants to help the African American community. This surprised Bigger and made him feel uncomfortable. The one thing that I didn't like about this book was the graphic description of a later incident with Mary Dalton, when he tries to conceal an event that happens between them. I also looked to find some information on Richard Wright. I found that in real life he was connected to the communist party and had actually married a white woman. He later divorced and then married another white women. I believe that he put some of his real life experiences and feelings into this book. Maybe he was thinking of his first wife when he came up with the character Mary Dalton because in the story there are bitter feelings toward Mary and since he divorced his first wife there may have been bitter feelings.
Rating: 
Summary: boring
Review: sure this tells us all about racism and how it affects people, but this book is so BORING... i slept 3 or 4 times trying to read it. The end is the worst, its like 40 pgs of a lawyer talking and then the State.
-dont read it unless you have to
Rating:
Summary: Simply Powerful
Review: This book is truly one of Richard Wright's greatest works of fiction. This book describes how African- American's ( in the story an A.A. young man) is the prouduct of one's society. every African-American should read this heart wretching story. Not only is it a great work of fiction, but it is a great work of truth. Richard Wright cause America to look at the truth and stop hiding behind what is a figment of our imagination. I highly recommend this book to you. It most definately should be in your library. This book should be read by all people every where. Listen to the message that Wright is preaching to America. Listen to the message and receive the message.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Story, Less than Great Philosophy
Review: This is one of the best stories I have ever read. As I read the book, I felt myself somehow tied to the main character, Bigger. I cheered for him, was ashamed with him, and I had a hard time putting the book down because it was so enthralling. It was great to be able to feel a part of a life that was so different than my own. The culture of Bigger Thomas is something very foreign to me, and I appreciated being able to feel like I was in his shoes. Richard Wright is undoubtedly a great writer, and I am looking forward to reading more of his books, enjoying his stories and trying to understand his ideas that seem so illogical to me. The story was improbable is some parts, and I think the author sacrificed reality for the philosophy that he was pushing. This didn't take away from the suspense or interest of the story. Though the story was great, the author had some ideological axes to grind that were very evident in this novel. At first, I felt his agenda was race (the oppression of blacks). Then I felt his agenda was politics (the greatness of socialism). But I think his agenda goes even farther than those two issues, the agenda has roots much deeper than race and politics. The issue at hand is a worldview issue, in which Richard Wright tries to show the supremacy of the individual over anything else (society, religion, race) but in his world, the individual is powerless to the society. I believe Wright has given too much credit and power to society. In the book, Bigger Thomas is portrayed as a puppet in the hands of a white-controlled society. Though society is undoubtedly influential, in no way can it control individuals in the way that the main character, Bigger, was controlled in this book. Richard Wright is living proof that society is not supreme, for he wrote books that were definitely not wanted by the society that he thinks hates him and his ideas. In my opinion, this ideology is the easy way out. Blame goes on everyone but self, and the individual is justified in making poor, selfish, and destructive decisions. In the book, the white majority was definitely wrong in the way they treated the black minority. But it is my contention that this is not ground for rape and murder which Bigger Thomas was guilty of (the accidental murder of Mary and the deliberate rape and murder of Bessie). Maybe I am ignorant like the character, Mr. Dalton, but I think that the powerful and the rich ought not to be blamed for the bad decisions that individuals make, even though the powerful and the rich may be a negative influence. Society is never going to be perfect. And even though America obviously has its problems (especially in the 40's) its society is much better than most around the world. Oppression has shown its ugly head in far worse ways than America ever has. The choice is ours: puppet or person? What would you like to choose? This was a great book. The story was great and it caused me to think. I would recommend the book to anyone. I read the introduction after I read the book, and it was very helpful in understanding Richard Wright and the context in which he lived. Also helpful were the appendices which gave more context to the book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story, Less than Great Philosophy
Review: This is one of the best stories I have ever read. As I read the book, I felt myself somehow tied to the main character, Bigger. I cheered for him, was ashamed with him, and I had a hard time putting the book down because it was so enthralling. It was great to be able to feel a part of a life that was so different than my own. The culture of Bigger Thomas is something very foreign to me, and I appreciated being able to feel like I was in his shoes. Richard Wright is undoubtedly a great writer, and I am looking forward to reading more of his books, enjoying his stories and trying to understand his ideas that seem so illogical to me. The story was improbable is some parts, and I think the author sacrificed reality for the philosophy that he was pushing. This didn't take away from the suspense or interest of the story. Though the story was great, the author had some ideological axes to grind that were very evident in this novel. At first, I felt his agenda was race (the oppression of blacks). Then I felt his agenda was politics (the greatness of socialism). But I think his agenda goes even farther than those two issues, the agenda has roots much deeper than race and politics. The issue at hand is a worldview issue, in which Richard Wright tries to show the supremacy of the individual over anything else (society, religion, race) but in his world, the individual is powerless to the society. I believe Wright has given too much credit and power to society. In the book, Bigger Thomas is portrayed as a puppet in the hands of a white-controlled society. Though society is undoubtedly influential, in no way can it control individuals in the way that the main character, Bigger, was controlled in this book. Richard Wright is living proof that society is not supreme, for he wrote books that were definitely not wanted by the society that he thinks hates him and his ideas. In my opinion, this ideology is the easy way out. Blame goes on everyone but self, and the individual is justified in making poor, selfish, and destructive decisions. In the book, the white majority was definitely wrong in the way they treated the black minority. But it is my contention that this is not ground for rape and murder which Bigger Thomas was guilty of (the accidental murder of Mary and the deliberate rape and murder of Bessie). Maybe I am ignorant like the character, Mr. Dalton, but I think that the powerful and the rich ought not to be blamed for the bad decisions that individuals make, even though the powerful and the rich may be a negative influence. Society is never going to be perfect. And even though America obviously has its problems (especially in the 40's) its society is much better than most around the world. Oppression has shown its ugly head in far worse ways than America ever has. The choice is ours: puppet or person? What would you like to choose? This was a great book. The story was great and it caused me to think. I would recommend the book to anyone. I read the introduction after I read the book, and it was very helpful in understanding Richard Wright and the context in which he lived. Also helpful were the appendices which gave more context to the book.
Rating:
Summary: A rich and insightful story
Review: Wright's Native Son is a rich and insightful look into a Black man's struggle with the overwhelming racism that surrounds him. One should not look at this work as a justification for crime nor a generalization on the Black experience in the United States. I believe Wright exposes the struggle between majority and minority groups and the repercussions it has on the actions of its members. We don't justify Bigger's crimes, but we can certainly follow the logical path that took him there. His crimes are an empowerment tool - a reaction to the White-dominated world in which he lives. It was a way for Bigger to take control of a situation and dictate his destiny, after many years of "...beign someone who knows how he is supposed to behave." What I truly value about this book is the breath of characters and feelings Wright puts into the racial equation. Bigger is the result of adding his mother as the eternal martyr, Bessie, as the opressed woman who is just trying to get by with what she is provided and making the most of it, Mary as the rich sympathizer who relishes in her liberal ways, Jan as the ultra leftist whose vision rises above his own experience, Mr Dalton who wants to help Blacks progress through labor and his wife who thinks it is more education, and finally the detective who injects the blatant alienphobias inherent in the vast majority.
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