in 1940. The book represents the tragedy of Bigger Thomas,

a black boy raised in the Chicago slums during the great

depression. Wright uses symbolism extensively in the novel.

There is even symbolic meaning behind the titles of each of

the three parts of the novel. It is symbolism that allows

Wright to explain the entire novel in the first few pages.

Even though symbols are widely used in the novel, there are

only three that are very important. The three most

important symbols are the black rat, blindness, and the

One of the major symbols in Native Son is the black

rat in the first chapter of the novel. The rat symbolizes

the fate, feelings, and actions of the main character. The

parallels between the rat and Bigger Thomas are

unmistakable. The black rat is seen as an invader and is

killed. The same eventually happens to Bigger later in the

Robert Lee argues that the black rat is symbolic of

several things. According to Lee, one symbolic function of

the black rat is that it sets up a motif that resonates

throughout the novel. The rat points forwar

it: "The rat's belly pulsed with fear. Bigger advanced a

illustrate the relationship between the races. His

malevolent condition, which they serve and perpetuate.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Native Son, Mary's Bessie's-seems, Edward Margolies, Bigger Thomas, Finally Margolies, Jan Bigger, Jan Max, According Lee, Mary Jan, native son, black rat, Robert Lee, bigger thomas, symbolic blindness, richard wrights native, thomas family, mary jan, richard wrights, wrights native, rat symbolic, wrights native son, york chelsea house, jan max, son york chelsea, native son york,
Approximate Word count = 1439
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)