Character Actions Defines Their Individual Personalities and
Belief Systems
Richard Wright's novel, Native Son, consisted of various main and
supporting character to deliver an effective array of personalities and
expression. Each character's actions defines their individual
personalities and belief systems. The main character of Native Son, Bigger
Thomas has personality traits spanning various aspect of human nature
including actions motivated by fear, quick temper, and a high degree of
intelligence. Bigger, whom the novel revolves around, portrays various
personality elements through his actions.
Many of his action suggest an overriding response to fear, which stems from
his exposure to a harsh social climate in which a clear line between
acceptable behavior for white's and black's exists. His swift anger and his
destructive impulses stem from that fear and becomes apparent in the
opening scene when he fiercely attacks a huge rat. The same murderous
impulse appears when his secret dread of the delicatessen robbery impels
him to commit a vicious assault on his friend Gus.
Big Ben
Portrait of Richard Wright
prunières_big_dipperBigger commits both of
the brutal murders not in rage or anger, but as a reaction to fear. His
typical fear stems from being caught in the act of doing something
socially unacceptable and being the subject of punishment. Although he
later admits to Max that Mary Dalton's behavior toward him made him hate
her, it is not that hate which causes him to smother her to death, but a
feeble attempt to evade the detection of her mother. The fear of being
caught with a white woman overwhelmed his common sense and dictated his
actions. When he attempted to murder Bessie, his motivation came from
intense fear of the consequences of "letting" her live. Bigger realized
that he could not take Bessie with him or leave her behind and concluded
that killing her...