History in Native Son
Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son, is a more than one man’s story--it is a piece of American history we can see in this tale of an African American young man in the ghetto of Chicago. Wright makes several statements about the African-American experience through characters and situations. By using realistic details, Wright successfully shows us what life might have been like for blacks in America, specifically in the city of Chicago, during the 1930s. Maybe one of the most prominent factors affecting the American life in Native Son is the Depression. The Depression, or the aftermath of it, is simply seen as a way of life in the ghetto that Bigger and his family and friends live. It is obvious in how Bigger and his family lived. An example of this can be seen in the apartment that Bigger and his mother, sister, and brother share with the huge black rat. According to James Davidson, editor of Nation of Nations, Millions stayed alive by foraging like animals. “In Chicago, people stood at local dumps, waiting for the next garbage truck. When one pulled away from the pile, read a 1932 report, crowd of 35 started digging with sticks, some with their hands, grabbing bit of food and vegetables.” (Davidson, et al. 949) The image of struggling to survive is evident throughout the entire novel. As a result of the Depression, the government offered public assistance commonly referred to as “relief” to those in need. Native Son also shows the existence of the relief, when Bigger finds his job. The relief is not shown in a very positive light, as Bigger was not so thrilled about the job relief found for him. In fact, he confesses to jack that he would rather go to jail than take that damn relief job? (Wright, 32). This is further illustrated after Bigger gets the job and his family is curious about it and he would rather not talk about it at