Cruelty And Malreatment In Richard Wright's 'Native Son'

Often in works of literature, cruelty and maltreatment are used to exemplify a point, ultimately strengthening the piece. In his novel, Native Son, Richard Wright uses the plight of African Americans in the early twentieth century American south to enhance his plot. Protagonist Bigger Thomas and kin are forced into the slums of the Black Belt, causing them to be raised without a proper education and understanding, according to the white culture; the “superior race.” When Bigger accidentally murders a white woman, the monstrous omnipresence of the white community bud to the victim’s side, leaving Bigger and the black community out to fend for themselves against their wrath that is unleashed upon the finding of the victim’s body. Without this