Society’s Systems and Their Impact on Individuals (Native Son Literary Analysis)

“‘I’m glad I got to know you before I go!’ he said with almost a shout; then was silent, for that was not what he had wanted to stay.”(Wright, 423). Native Son, a captivating novel written in 1940, follows a black 20-year-old living in poverty on the Chicago South Side through the unforeseen consequences of his impetuous actions, and “The Case for Reparations.” An article written by Ta-Nehisi Coates around 75 years later, explores the effects of social and economic environments on a person. Through seemingly insignificant actions the structure of society, including systematic oppression and preconceived notions, have an extensive impact on the lives of people like Bigger Thomas, the protagonist of Native Son.

Systematic Racism was a main topic discussed in both “The Case for Reparations.” and Native Son. “The Case for Reparations.” provides an explanation of the ideas causing this white prejudice and Native Son gives relatable illustrations to help the reader connect with this topic emotionally. “For the next century, political violence was visited upon blacks wantonly, with special treatment meted out toward black people of ambition.”(Coates, 5). The article explains that when poor white people were raised in status above black people, black people were pushed further down the ladder. This caused an increase in violence due to poor whites feeling glad that they were now ‘above’ something, and could possess power. This impacted how whites thought of black people and instead of viewing them as equals, they saw black people as subservient and dumb. In Native Son, Bigger uses this to his advantage to deflect suspicion off of him, “Bigger knew the things that white folks hated to hear Negroes ask for; and he knew that these were the things the Reds were always asking for. And he knew that white folks did not like to hear these things asked for even by whites who fought for Negroes.”(Wright, 195). Bigger has experienced this discrimination his whole life to the point where he is now able to tell white people exactly what they want to hear. A prime example of how these actions provided Bigger with ‘inside’ knowledge he can use to manipulate others.

In addition, Bigger feels a power imbalance and thinks he needs to use physical means to increase the power he has to make him equal to white people. “He was going among white people, so he would take his knife and his gun; it would make him feel that he was the equal of them, give him a sense of completeness.” (Wright, 43). Bigger doesn’t feel the need to carry the gun to protect himself, he carries the gun to not feel “less than” others. Although Bigger has access to resources that can cause violence, he cannot further his education or obtain job security. This lack of opportunity also affects how a person thinks about certain circumstances, where, given the chance, they would make choices that would be detrimental to others.“‘I could fly a plane if I had a chance,’ Bigger said. ‘If you wasn’t black and if you had some money and if they’d let you go to that aviation school, you could fly a plane,’ Gus said… ‘Maybe they right in not wanting us to fly,’ Bigger said. ‘ ’Cause if I took a plane up I’d take a couple of bombs along and drop ‘em sure as hell….’”(Wright, 17). The opportunities available to blacks were slim and did not lead to mental and financial stability.

Similarly, redlining also had a major impact on both the living situation and the mental health of black people. In Native Son, even though there is an abundance of buildings with livable spaces, they sit uninhabited and abandoned. “He turned away, thinking: Five of ‘em sleeping in one room, and here’s a great big empty building with just me in it.”(Wright, 247). Black people were very limited in their housing choices not only in what was available to them but also financially. “Decades of racist housing policies by the American government, along with decades of racist housing practices by American businesses, had conspired to concentrate African Americans in the same neighborhoods. As in North Lawndale half a century earlier, these neighborhoods were filled with people who had been cut off from mainstream financial institutions.”(Coates, 10). Billy Lamar Brooks Sr. an activist in the Black Panther Party, says if “You got a nice house, you live in a nice neighborhood, then you are less prone to violence because your space is not deprived. You got a security point. You don’t need no protection. But if you grow up in a place like this, housing sucks... You don’t have nothing, so you going to take something, even if it’s not real. You don’t have no street, but in your mind it’s yours.” (Coates, 8). Brooks is telling Coates that nicer neighborhoods mean more safety and therefore mental security, but when you don’t grow up in those safe neighborhoods you can’t let your mind and body relax, so you will claim a place to defend and sometimes even risk your life for. In Between the World and Me, Coates talks about his own experience with this, “The fear was there in the extravagant boys of my neighborhood, in their large rings and medallions, their big puff coats and full-length fur-collared leathers, which was their armor against the world. They would stand on the corner of Gwynn Oak and Liberty, or Cold Spring and Park Heights, or outside Mondawmin Mall, with their hands dipped in Russell sweats.”(Coates, 14). This relates to one of Max’s main arguments in Bigger’s court case, Bigger did not grow up in a secure area therefore his mind is insecure and unstable so when he has to make a decision, his first thought is going to be violence because that is how he has grown up and lived his whole life.

In light of this information, black people are clearly affected by white people’s ‘minor’ modifications to behavior and conduct, which encouraged standards of injustice, and partiality. The organization of language, actions, and systems, in order to lower the status and dehumanize black people, caused a severe lack of opportunity for them; they were unable to achieve mental and financial stability as a result of the absence of convenient education and employment. Furthermore, black people, not only understood what was happening in terms of systematic racism but in certain circumstances, they were able to use this to their advantage, meaning they were not oblivious to the situation. People like Bigger Thomas in Native Son were able to predict their outcome from the moment they commit a crime because they knew how biased the judicial system was. Similar to the lack of opportunities, redlining was also a discriminatory system against racial and ethnic minorities set in place that withheld services like financial and housing from people who were considered a ‘hazardous’ investment. This lead to instability in those areas, even though there was an abundance of buildings available and resources. These systems are especially important to recognize when we look at how people acted during this time period because of how they were treated and the hardships they had to endure.