StagesRichard Wright's Native Son provides us with an exemplary example of the way the black race was conditioned in the 1930's. He does this by telling us about an adult black male named Bigger Thomas. Wright titles each book in the novel the way he does to give insight into the various actions and feelings of Bigger.Book one is entitled Fear. It provides us with an explanation of why Bigger is afraid to do many things that he has a chance to do. Wright explains that Bigger is afraid because he is conditioned by white society to act this way. In Fear, Wright shows us that in actuality, Bigger is afraid to rob Blum's store. Bigger tries to mask his fear by implying that Gus is the one who is scared. They are shooting a game of pool when he asks Gus if he still wants to do the job. When Gus says no Bigger replies, "How come? You scared ‘cause he's a white man?" When Gus retaliates, Bigger tries to accuse Jack and G.H. He makes the statement, "Cause he's white, everybody's scared." Wright emphasizes bigger's fear again when he arrives at the Dalton's. Bigger is scared because he thinks that someone will believe that he is trying to rob or rape somebody. Bigger feels that he should have stayed among his own people in order to escape the feeling of fear that he has in his heart. Once again Wright emphasizes the title. He does this when Jan and Mary ask Bigger to eat with them. Bigger stutterers, "I-I . . . . I don't want to go in." With this statement Bigger shows how much he fears the white race. In this book of Native Son Bigger proves that his heart is full of fear when he burns Mary's body to prevent anyone from blaming her so called "disappearance" on him. It is clear that Wright entitled book one Fear to emphasize why bigger's heart is full of fear and what he does to cope with this fear.Book two of Wright's Native Son is entitled Flight. Like Fear, Flight also has a specific meaning. Flight begins w...
