Bigger Thomas Struggle For Freedom

Albert Camus, a French-Algerian philosopher, stated “Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” Being free from external control and allowed to choose his or her own destiny, one may venture in pursuit of personal perfection, allowing oneself to become better. In the American novel Native Son by Richard Wright, Bigger Thomas finds himself struggling in an age of segregation, being confined and alienated from the white world. Bigger is constantly working his way towards freedom, and only comes close to finding himself free upon murdering a young white woman. As Maya Angelou stated in the poem Alone “nobody, but nobody can make it out here alone,” Bigger Thomas finds himself struggling alone without the support of others. In the pursuit of freedom, Bigger finds himself struggling to make his life better and struggles against his alienation and oppression.
Bigger first moves toward freedom when he starts his new job as chauffeur for the Dalton household. Bigger finds himself working for $25 a week after Mr. Dalton increased his salary for him to spend on himself. In addition to his salary, Bigger is given his own room; a drastic change of pace from his one room apartment he shared with his mother and two siblings. Bigger’s mother has always taken care of him and encouraged
Angelou writes “The race of man is suffering and I can hear the moan.” Bigger comes to realize after being incarcerated that his crime has stretched far beyond himself and is affecting an entire population. When Bigger is hiding in an apartment building, he overhears two men discussing his crimes. One of the men state that they should stand up for Bigger and show support for their race. The other man replies that it is too dangerous to stand against the white man and Bigger. This deepens Biggers isolation when he realizes that even his own community no longer supports