Richard Wright
Novel Questions
The following questions/comments for discussion should be answered completely. Where possible page references are given in parentheses. You may exempt any ten except 29 and 30. (So, in total, you respond to 20 of the 30).
1. What
effect does Wright create with his opening scene: a family (mother, daughter,
two sons) in one room, especially with the women dressing? How does he add
or enhance the effect by adding the rat? (1-6)
2. The
scene in the theatre on pages 32 and 33 was deleted from earlier, censored
versions of Native Son. Why does
Wright include the scene?
3. If
the girl in the movie newsreel had not been Mary Dalton, what would Bigger’s
feelings toward the scene have been and why? In other words, if the scene
were of any rich white girl frolicking in
4. What
may account for the difference in the perception that poor whites treat blacks
worse than rich whites do? (37)
5. “easier and safer to rob their own people, for they knew that
white policemen never really searched diligently for Negroes who committed
crimes against other Negroes.” (14) What’s the real point shown here? Does
a similar attitude exist today? Why do so many young black men kill each other?
6. Bigger’s
dream is to fly planes. Is Wright using this dream in a symbolic way? Explain.
7. Comment
on the scene on pages 18-20 in which they play White.
8. Why
do Doc, G.H, and Jack keep laughing while Bigger abuses Gus? (42-44)
9. “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.”
(48) Any comments?
10. Mr.
Dalton says, “Well, it doesn’t matter,” when he finds out Bigger doesn’t know
what the NAACP is. (60) Do you agree? What is the NAACP?
11. How
would you feel if you were Bigger, about to start this job--$5.00 a week for
himself? He barely has a quarter a day now. Twenty dollars
will go to his mom to pay rent. (60)
12. Discuss
how Bigger feels after meeting Jan and he and Mary start to close in on him.
(75-79)
13. Was
Mary’s death an accident or murder? Does Bigger act “smart” in how he conceals
the crime? How else could he have gotten out of it?
14. In
what way was Mary responsible for her own death?
15. Peggy
comes down to check on the fire saying it got very hot last night but was
low this morning. (132) This is a great example of
suspense. Explain how.
16. At
this point in the book, how do you feel about Bigger? Hate him? Sympathize?
Want to protect him? Want him to get caught? Explain.
17. Comment
on the treatment Bessie receives from Bigger. Is what he does to Bessie worse
than what he does to Mary? Why? Will he be tried for his crimes against Bessie?
Why or why not?
18. (277)
“In all of his life these two murders were the most meaningful things that
had ever happened to him. He was living, truly and deeply, no matter what
others might think, looking at him with their blind eyes.” Explain what Wright
means.
19. Are
criminals born or do they develop? (268 & 278)
20. (282
and elsewhere) React to the treatment Bigger and his case receive in the press.
Fair? Unprejudiced?
21. Why
is Bigger smart to pin it all on Jan?
22. It
is assumed Bigger raped Mary. Why?
23. React
to the preacher’s attempts to bring Bigger to God. Why does he fail? (325-)
24. Why
does Mr. Max choose the defense that he does? What are his goals?
25. Does
it appear that “they” hate Communists more than they hate Negroes? Explain
26. How
does Mr. Max try to implicate Mr. Dalton as a contributor to Bigger’s crime?
(376-)
27. Does
Bigger receive a fair trial? Explain.
28. Does
the book end like you thought it would? How might it have realistically ended
differently?
29. According
to Wright, who’s to blame most for Bigger’s crimes? Why? (Read “How ‘Bigger’
Was Born”)
30. Wright
has divided his novel into three books—Fear,
Flight, and Fate. What is the central idea of each book? Is the novel’s structure
effective in conveying Wright’s theme? Explain