The issue of racism has affected the American society for many centuries. Racial discrimination and attitudes that exist between the whites and blacks towards each other has always been a source of conflict between the two races. Racial discrimination between members from different races is capable of causing individuals to feel pressured and to develop a dangerous mental state to the extent of reacting violently towards individuals belonging to the other race. In the 20th century, racism was deep-rooted within the American society to the extent that blacks were experiencing discrimination on a daily basis in virtually all spheres of life. White racism in America causes extensive harm to the wellbeing of the black community because the whites influence blacks who change their attitudes and begin seeing themselves as negative stereotypes of ‘darkness’ while also perceiving the whites as a community that is out to overpower them.
The Native Son by Richard Wright is a book that provides a terrifying narrative regarding the extent and the effects of racial oppression that was the order of the day in Chicago and in the rest of the states in America in the 1930s. It is based on the period when the African Americans were suffering from the Jim Crow laws. The main theme in the book is about the racial experiences of a black American man by the name of Bigger Thomas. By exposing the experiences of Thomas, the author provides a general idea of the origins of racial discrimination and the extent to which it affected the African Americans and the entire society. Throughout the book, the author insists that Thomas was a violent person right from his childhood. However, Wright suggests that the aggression that Thomas displays is because he is a product of racism and violence that was a normal occurrence within the society in which he was raised. Throughout the novel, Wright illustrates that racial discrimination was due to lack of understanding among the whites and blacks regarding each other’s culture and perceptions. For instance, the book demonstrates that Thomas misunderstands the whites and his misunderstanding causes him to adopt a convenient prediction as long as he behaves in accordance with what he considers his destiny as a black American.
As an African American, Thomas is well aware of the fact that there are social limits on what he can achieve because of the color of his skin. He reveals his frustrations when he states that whenever he thinks about his handicap he feels as if someone is poking a hot iron down his throat. As such, he compares being black to being in jail considering that whites could accomplish whatever they wanted because every aspect of the society including the biased police allowed them to thrive at the expense of the blacks (23). The outright bias of the police is characterized by private investigator Britten who states that to him a nigger is a nigger and they do not need a chance because they are already in trouble even without being in trouble (154). The association of blacks with crimes seems to have been pervasive among the whites. The plight of blacks as lesser people within the American society is supported further by the fact that the African Americans paid twice as much rent as the whites for the same kind of houses despite the blacks not being able to secure good jobs (233). Ultimately, the segregation of the blacks in every sphere of the society including in schools did not help the situation as children from the black community failed to acquire education thus increasing the level of ignorance among the blacks. Accordingly, media reporting and in particular the newspapers during the 1930s show the extent to which racism was entrenched within the American society.
Throughout the book, the author focuses on the oppression of the African Americans while providing insight regarding the tendency of human beings to perpetuate discrimination against other humans that they perceive to be different or inferior. For instance, because of the separation between the whites and the blacks, Thomas begins to perceive the whites as cold and distant. However, it is clear that Thomas starts to build such a biased perception of the whites because he lacks exposure to the whites and such perception gradually turns to resentment. Wright notes that Thomas did not understand whites hence he distrusted them and actually hated them (71). This shows that when people allow their suspicions towards certain people to intensify, those suspicions will ultimately lead to hate and discrimination against others. For instance, the fact that Thomas is distrustful of the whites, he allows that distrust to turn into hate for each white person and this explains why he hates Mary regardless of her efforts to befriend him.
The generalization of character and the racial divide between the blacks is also apparent when Thomas tells Max that white and black folks are strangers who do not know what each other is thinking and to him, Mary was just like all the other white folks (325). Although the mindset that Thomas illustrates towards every white person is not necessary, it is justifiable given that some whites have subjected him to the oppression. It is important to note that by showing that the resentment that blacks have towards the whites is justified, Wright is indirectly revealing that there is no valid justification for the whites to resent and oppress the blacks. As such, the book shows that one cannot blame the blacks for hating the whites because no one can love a person who is always looking for opportunities to humiliate and oppress them.
Wright draws attention to the fact that the whites remained very ignorant about the terrible circumstances in which the blacks were living. Mary demonstrates this aspect when she confesses that she has travelled to many places including France, Mexico, and England but she has never known how the Negroes who live yet they are only a few blocks away (70). Although Mary’s interest in befriending Thomas reveals that some whites were not openly racists, their perceived mystery regarding the life of blacks prevented them from having a meaningful relation with them. Mr. Dalton symbolizes the naivety of the whites regarding the way of life of the blacks. He believes that his money donations to the South Side Boys’ Club and the African American schools would be enough compensation for the obstacles that prevent blacks from becoming successful. As such, the whites, whether racists or not, had a misguided view of the black life.
Every racist instance in the book relates to its climax that is presented by the speech by Max who declares that the injustice that has been perpetuated against the blacks is in reality oppression given that most crimes that blacks have been accused of are a fabrication by the whites and the newspapers (194). As such, Max seems to convey the belief of the author, which is that the problems that the blacks were experiencing in the 1930s were influenced by external factors driven by racism. In the end, the book manages to establish the unfortunate relationship between black crime and racial oppression. The fact that the Wright argues that the actions that Thomas undertook were based on what he believed were white expectations of him reveals a form of conspiracy that was advanced by the whites against the blacks to make the latter unsuccessful. Thomas occasional expressions that suggest he feels a sense of accomplishment regarding the murders he has committed given the white expectations portrays him and other blacks as incapable of influencing their own destiny. As such, the life of every black person was predetermined right from birth by the society that was heavily influenced by the whites. The one hopeful thing towards the end of the novel is Thomas’ change of attitude towards the whites where he begins to view Jan as a fellow human being rather than judging him based on the color of his skin (268). Such change of attitude shows that it is possible to end discrimination within the American society but only if people are to judge every person as an individual rather than as a representation of their race.
It is disheartening to learn that human beings are capable of perpetuating such inhumane and ruthless exploitation against fellow human beings in a nation that prides itself as having been founded on Christian values. It is also hard to believe how one race can deprive another of rights and freedoms in a nation that is so vigorous in proclaiming the right of every man. The novel enables one to become aware of the atrocities that were committed against the African Americans during the 20th century and although there is very little that one can do to make the life of blacks more bearable, the narrative makes one more sympathetic about their experiences. It is clear that racial equality within the American society has improved considerably from the situation in the 1930s. However, by revealing the predicaments of the blacks in the 1930s, the author seems to appeal to the American community to ensure that the society does not deteriorate to the levels it was not so long ago.
On the cultural and sociological levels, both the whites and blacks in America are guilty of perpetuating racism directly or indirectly. This is mainly because racial attitudes between the two races provoke anger and fear such that members from these races are unable to communicate effectively. Because there is seldom any meaningful communication between the whites and blacks, they do not understand each other and this heightens the tension within the community as each sees the other as threatening their existence. Thomas’ fear and hate towards the whites and the latter’s hatred towards the blacks become clear during his trial.
However, one thing that remains constant is that the two races are unable to understand the social and cultural aspects that define each other. As such, it is clear that the racism that exists in within the American society between whites and blacks is not because of social or cultural differences but is based on ‘whiteness’ and ‘blackness’. Consequently, in order to overcome the racism that is based on appearance, individuals from each race must be willing to know more about the social and cultural aspects that define the other race. Just as the elders from both races have played a major role in nurturing racism between the whites and blacks, they must be willing to create a different cultural logic among themselves and their children based on the need to have a better understanding of the other race. From the novel, it is only through the willingness to change the logic of racism that the whites and blacks can eliminate the problem once and for all.
Work Cited
Wright, Richard. Native Son. Perennial Library, 1987.
