In Native Son and Black Boy,
we get to experience many elements of fear. How is fear addressed in the
narrative? Are there different types of fear? How do the characters deal with
their own fears? Select two characters and identify examples of fear. In what ways does fear bring the characters
closer or tear them apart?
In Native Son we see how fear is pretty much one of the biggest themes in Book one. Fear motivates a still man to run a mile. Fear led to the death of a Bessie in the story and overcame Bigger when he realized his mistake. There may be different intensity levels of fear, but not different types. The fear one may have to being robbed in comparison to the one they may experience in murdering someone are different. Bigger deals with his fear by being Bigger, there's no better way to say it, but Bessie on the other hand deals with her fear by giving in because she's weak hearted. Fear brought Bigger and Bessie closer because Bigger needed a way out, but further apart because Bessie had a feeling that Bigger did something bad to Mary by how suspicious he was acting. Giving a little too much detail, Bigger feared Bessie would tell on him so he made a mistake he would have to live with forever, killing Bessie out of fear.
ReplyDeleteIn Native Son, Bigger narrates his fear through his anger. He's like most men instead of stating that he really doesnt want to do something because he is afraid, he would rather take his frustration or fear out on others. I don't see the possibility of differnet types of fear. If your afraid, your just afraid there's nothing else to it. Bigger's mother prayed when she was afraid, Bigger's sister fainted when she was afraid.Bigger's fear caused him to kill someone and try his hardest to frame Jan for it. One would think Jan would no longer want anything to do with Bigger, but he understand that Bigger was afraid and only did what he thought he should when faced with a situation he was unprepared to handle.
ReplyDeleteIn Native son, there was alot of fear going on throughout the entire novel all the way up to the end. First in dealing with the seperation between black and white people during these times. Segregation was allowed and put into order to make all the white people feel comfortable and so called safe. I believe deep down inside they feared african american people so much that they looked for and did anything in their power to keep us oppressed as a people. Then on the flip side of the coin you have the african american people who literaaly felt like they had to walk around on egg shells so that they won't over step their boundries with the white people. When I look at our main character Bigger who would have appeared to the natural eye to be this hard core, ruthless killer with no heart at all. In reality Bigger was a victim of circumstance a product of his own environment. When you really analize all the decisions he made just about each and every bad decision he made was made through his own personal fear that he struggled with inside. Carolyn B.
ReplyDeleteIn the readings Native son by Richard Wright fear has a big role in the reading. from the very beginning fear was brought upon the readings when bigger and his friends hesitated to rob a convient store being that it was a white owner but felt that it was easy to rob a person of his own race. He was more feared to rob a man no of his race because of the problems that would have been brung upon him. After having a few drinks with mary and taking her back to her home and having a few touches and her mother walks into the room he quickly grabs the pillow suffercating mary being that he was affraid of being caught in her room so he did whatever it took to hide himself and his presences. Bigger Thomas was basically on the run the entire book because he caused a big mess in the city which he lived and felt fearedof being caught for his actions.
ReplyDeleteIn Native Son, Bigger is full of Fear. Fear controls the way he acts and reacts. Bigger was afraid of not only his present cirumstance, but fear suffocated his view of his future. The invisible ceiling brought a fear that only those with similar situations to Bigger's could possibly understand. Bigger feared that no matter what he did, or how much of it he did it, there would always be a cap on how far he could go. Fear didn't only affect his vision, but Bigger displayed fear when he suggested robbing the store but backed out at the last minute. Instead of suggesting to his friends that the idea was too scary, he allowed fear and pride to cause him operate in an irrational manner. Fear stalked Bigger throughout the story and followed him into Mary's room, and even until the closing scene. Fear was not Bigger's friend, but it definantly had control over him.
ReplyDeleteBigger fear controls him, which leads him to negative consequences that bigger makes in his life.For example he was offered a job to support his family but he did'nt want to take the job. Bigger had negative feelings and thoughts behind it. He also feared white people, he felt they possesssed power over him. Fear led him to killing women.
ReplyDeleteIn Native son we see fear throughout the book, it is the most prevalent theme. Two characters that exhibit fear that play off one another are Bigger Thomas and his Mother. Having lost a father in the riots (a consequence of racial injustice) would serve as a catalyst for Biggers’ hate and fear of the “White Man”. An example of this would be when Bigger beats up Gus because he is scared to rob the “White Man” store. Events like this would reluctantly make a parent trust a child would be ok in the world, especially having already lost a spouse to violence. Thus, giving way to fears that her child will end up hurt or worse. Which is why whenever we hear banter between Bigger and his Mother it always seems like she is nagging him, but in all actuality she just wants him to be ok.
ReplyDeleteIn Native Son the first thing we're introduced to is a moment of fear and panic in the case of the rat and Bigger's attitude towards the death of it foreshadows how he'll act for the rest of the book. Fear in America at that time was different than fear now. There weren't as many freedoms as there are now and just the fact that Bigger couldn't be around whomever he wanted further heightened his fear of the "white man". Bigger's mother feared for her son, and in a sense was even afraid of him. He was erratic and unstable and a part of her saw that yet she always harked on him to do xy and z even though he resisted every time.
ReplyDeleteThe theme fear was used in the Native Son through the character named Bigger. He used his violence to hide his emotions, one being fear. He killed Mary Dalton out of fear. He was afraid that he would lose his job if he got caught kissing her so he smothered her and burned her body in the furnace. Bigger also fought his friend because he didn't want any of the guys to know he was afraid to rob a white man's store! He was afraid of Mr. Dalton which is why he carried around his gun AND knife; it made him feel superior.
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