Racial Oppression in Wright’s Native Son: Bigger Thomas’s Revolution for Safeguarding Self-Identity

Abstract

This thesis, entitled “Racial Oppression in Wright’s Native Son: Bigger Thomas’s Revolution for Safeguarding Self-Identity” deals with an oppressive American racial background of the 1930s and its result. This research discloses how black people were living and how they revolted to safeguard their identity. The theory of new historicism is used to demonstrate the historical context of 1930 America and Black art theory is used to mirror how black people were motivated to act antisocially. Elements like hate, attraction, sex, relationship, desire, dream, career, repulsion, separation, deprivation, marginalization, discrimination and realization are the keywords used to make the novel’s objective clear. In Wright’s narrative, the historical background of then America is brilliantly portrayed. So, the novel can be considered as a historical artifact and a literary tool to energize the Black Art Movement. Based on the new historicists’ argument -the historicity of texts and textuality of history is reciprocally concerned- the historical background has been tried to elaborate through the text. Moreover, to excavate the reason why a man is imposed to kill someone has been thoroughly analyzed. A society, where man takes birth, is completely responsible for what man does. And, an environment where man grows up, teaches him to revolt against the situation if it goes beyond the tolerance level. Finally, the study concludes with the finding that- too much oppression results in violence.