DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR NATIVE SON BY RICHARD WRIGHT 1. Is Bigger Thomas a character we are supposed to pity or sympathize with? How does the brutality of his acts affect your feelings toward him? 2. What effect does the author create with the opening scene? How does this enhance your knowledge of Bigger's life? What effect, if any, does the black rat add? 3. Was Mary's death an accident or murder? Does Bigger act "smart" in how he aempts to conceal it? Does he have any other real way he could have goen out of the situaon? 4. Is what Bigger does to Bessie worse than what he does to Mary? Do you think he will be tried for his crimes against Bessie? 5. Is Bigger's trial a fair one? How does racism affect the judicial process in the book? What role does the media play in determining "jusce"? 6. What role does blindness play in the story? Is there anyone other than Mrs. Dalton that you would say is blind? 7. Much of the story is very monochromac - Wright describes characters and objects as black or white in many scenes. How does it affect your reading of the story? 8. Why does Max choose the line of defense that he does? What are his goals? How does he try to implicate Mr. Dalton as a contributor to the crime? 9. Why does the preacher aempt to bring Bigger closer to God and why does he fail? 10. Has Bigger changed at all by the end of the book? Is there anything to admire about him? Does the author intend for us to relate to Bigger as a human or has he made him an embodiment of social and polical forces? 11. Does the book seem dated in its depicon of racism? Have we moved beyond the rage and hoslity that exists between whites and blacks in the book? Could our culture sll produce a figure like Bigger Thomas? Quesons from Gappers Block This discussion sheet is property of the Colorado State Library’s Book Club Resource. Please return this sheet along with all of the books in the book bag to the Colorado State Library – Courier Code C912. Contact [email protected] with quesons or concerns. .