Bigger
Native Son -- what a read! This was one shocking novel I couldn’t put down from start to finish. I’m not sure if I exactly enjoyed this book per say, as in ‘I had a pleasant viewing experience’ (it’s certainly not an easy read) but it was definitely extraordinary. Yet, as I usually have more fun looking for faults in any piece of literature than lavishing praise on it, that’s what I wanted to do with Bigger Thomas. Often overlooked in favor of Wright’s much more obviously two-dimensional supporting cast, Bigger still has some interesting weaknesses as the protagonist of a protest novel. Bigger Thomas isn’t really like any other protagonists, which something we all know very well after reading Native Son . U ndeniably, he is a vivid and lifelike character. And as his unconventionality separates him from more familiar character cliches, Bigger initially seems quite realistic. However, a second look reveals that he, too, has flaws as a main lead. Bigger is written, as Wright himself said...