Rape
Is The Black Man A Victim Or A Victimizer Of "Rape"?Rape is a primary source of fear in Richard Wright's Native Son. Through the main character of the story, Bigger Thomas, Wright reveals the idea that black men in the 1940's feared the thought of being associated with "rape", which is a result of racism and white-superiority. But, even though Bigger is afraid of such a situation, he eventually does commit "rape", which brings about his downfall and, eventually, his death. In Native Son, Richard Wright's protagonist, Bigger Thomas, is a young, fearful, and violent black man, through which he shows the struggles that a black man must endure to support his family and get by in life. Bigger's fears are the results of living in a racist, white-dominated society. Bigger, as well as the other blacks, live in the "black belt" of town, in poorly conditioned buildings and small apartments owned by the whites. They often have low-paying jobs and are the victims of white abuse. To emphasize the economic and social crisis between the blacks and the whites, Wright often uses reoccurring metaphors. Throughout the story, he often repeats Bigger's fear of being accused of rape or even being molested himself. This is first seen when he goes to
They would say he had raped her and there would be no way to prove that he had not. He tries to keep Bessie warm and, in doing so, is filled with the desire to make love: "He kept kissing her until her lips grew warm and soft. the Daltons' to interview for the job and decides to take the gun with him:Inside his shirt he felt the cold metal of the gun resting against his naked skin; he ought to put it back between the mattresses. But, this time, this was a "rape" on not just a black girl, but also the black community. After the rat runs around for a little and annoys Bigger, he just snaps and "strikes out": "Bigger took a shoe and pounded the rat's head, crushing it, cursing it hysterically: 'You sonofabitch!'" (4-5). Although Bigger Thomas is a victimizer of rape, Richard Wright has shown that, through the novel, Bigger and the entire black race are victims of "rape". He was going among white people, so he would take his knife and his gun. That fact had not assumed importance in his eyes until now. This is why Bigger resulted in killing Bessie, for his own survival.
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Acceptance Essays
