Native Son: 2

"But his movement would have called attention to himself and his black body"(Wright 71).


The fact that someone ever had to feel this way is despicable. To think that there was a time when drawing attention to yourself, due to the color of your skin caused a person fear and kept them from moving, is saddening. However, this was Bigger's reality. The massive weight of oppression has shaped Bigger so greatly that he dislikes his skin, and doing anything that would cause others to notice it. Bigger lives his life trying to blend in. Mary and Jan scare him because they allow him to put his guard down and be different. Bigger is torn between living like he always has, being subordinate, and accepting the new freedoms that are being set before him in the name of keeping his job. Being thrust into this situation, and not being equipped with social knowledge or good emotional outlets will prove to be difficult for Bigger to handle.