Native Son (Abridged)Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Richard Wright's novel is just as powerful today as when it was written -- in its reflection of poverty and hopelessness, and what it means to be black in America. This abridged edition includes an introduction, "How Bigger Was Born," by the author, as well as an afterword by John Reilly. |
Common terms and phrases
ain't asked Bessie Bessie's Bigger felt Bigger heard Bigger looked Bigger saw Bigger Thomas Black Belt body breath Britten Buckley Buddy caught cold Communist Cottage Grove crime cue stick dark death door drunk electric chair Erlone eyes fear feel feet fingers flashlight floor front furnace girl Goddamn hand happened hate head hear Jack Jan's kidnap note kill knew last night lifted lips listening live Mary Dalton Mary's mind Miss Dalton mother mumbled murder Native Son Nawsuh Negro nigger opened paper Peggy police rape Richard Wright round scared side silent slowly snow standing stared stood stopped street talk tell thing thought told took trunk trying turned voice waiting walked watched What's whispered white folks window woman Yeah Yessuh