The Blind Society

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Recommended: Evaluate Bigger Thomas as a "Native son" of America in the native son

What does it mean when one is described as being blind? Many people would answer that it can be defined as a person who lacks the gift of sight either as a cause of an accident or nature. However, in the case of Native Son, the scenario is different because the characters are blind as a result of a history entailing the common practice of mistreatment. Bigger Thomas is blind in his perception of white society and its reality. In the same sense, the white society is blind of blacks and their lifestyle. What each perceives of the other is actually false. Richard Wright argues, through the character of Max, that Mary Dalton’s murder was the effect of a cause that has been occurring for decades. The cause is the maltreatment of blacks and misunderstanding of both whites and blacks. Wright, through his writing, asserts that we need to recognize and understand the existing dilemma of blindness in order to overcome racial tension in America. Blindness is strongly depicted through the whites in the novel because they are the reason behind all the problems for the blacks. The first person Bigger physically meets is Mr. Dalton, a rich philanthropist who mistakenly believes that all blacks need is pity and money thrown at them. Him, and his actual blind wife, are oblivious to the problems surrounding them as a result of their wealth. They truly want to help and fix the problems that blacks face but don’t understand that they are reason why blacks are in the conditions they are. In Book 3, Mr. Dalton states “What this boy has done will not influence my relations with the Negro people. Why, not only today I sent a dozen ping-pong tables to the South Side Boys’ Club…” He believes that he can help blacks overcome obstacles by donating ping-po... ... middle of paper ... ... equal. That was incorrect because Bigger was never taught how to accept or behave when such help was offered. This is the entire controversy that Wright tries to express through the events that take place. Whereas Mary’s family tried, despite it being the wrong way, changing the circumstances of blacks, Bigger’s family accepted what was given to them. Mrs. Thomas uses God as an escape and tries to impose religion on the rest of her family. Bigger despises this because his family accepts what the Church offers: salvation after death. However, Bigger wants salvation in his current life. He feels as if he wins some importance when he kills Mary. He thinks that his brother Buddy is blind since he doesn’t know what Bigger is capable of. Vera is just like his mother because she tries to find escape and denies reality. Her gateway is sewing lessons at the local YMCA.

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