The Style, Point of View, Form and Structure of Native Son, by Richard Wright

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In his novel, Native Son, Richard Wright favors short, simple, blunt sentences that help maintain the quick narrative pace of the novel, at least in the first two books. For example, in the following passage: "He licked his lips; he was thirsty. He looked at his watch; it was ten past eight. He would go to the kitchen and get a drink of water and then drive the car out of the garage." Wright's imagery is often brutal and elemental, as seen in his frequently repeated references to fire, snow, and Mary's bloody head. Although the style is similar to that of much of the detective fiction of Wright's day, some readers find it perfectly suited to a novel told from the point of view of an uneducated youth driven by overpowering feelings of fear, shame, and hate. Even the novel's cliches, such as "he had his destiny in his grasp," may fit a central character who gets his information about the larger world from the cliche-ridden mass media. Wright worked within the literary conventions of his time, but he also subverted them to create a unique and powerful voice. In Book Three, the novel's pace slows down, and the narrative becomes more philosophical as Max delves into the social and psychological implications of Bigger's case. Max's speech to the court is the climax of the novel, as he pronounces upon Bigger. Bigger must then decide how to approach his impending death. That decision is the final resolution of both Book Three and the novel as a whole.

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