Gothic Elements in Richard Wright's Native Son

Abstract

The present study explores the Gothic element in the novel Native Son. The central black character Bigger Thomas is attributed with gothic features who commit crime one after another. Bigger Thomas is black character who lives in a slum area with his widow mother and other two siblings. He finds a job in Dalton family where he commits a crime. He kills Mary Dalton after raping her, only one off spring of sophisticated white Dalton family. In order to avoid his capture for his crime of rape, Bigger Thomas rushes to his black girl friend Bessie Mears where he narrates her about his crime. He kills her again with the suspicion that she may reveal his hiding and where about after raping her too. Finally, he surrenders to the police authority and is sentenced to death. In this regard Bigger Thomas is ravaged by numerous fear, terror and horror through out the novel who commits crimes one after another.