Native Son: Character Actions Defines Their Individual
             Richard Wright's novel, Native Son, consisted of various main and
             supporting character to deliver an effective array of
             personalities and expression. Each character's actions defines
             their individual personalities and belief systems. The main
             character of Native Son, Bigger Thomas has personality traits
             spanning various aspect of human nature including actions
             motivated by fear, quick temper, and a high degree of
             intelligence. Bigger, whom the novel revolves around, portrays
             various personality elements through his actions.
             Many of his action suggest an overriding response to fear, which
             stems from his exposure to a harsh social climate in which a clear
             line between acceptable behavior for white's and black's exists.
             His swift anger and his destructive impulses stem from that fear
             and becomes apparent in the opening scene when he fiercely attacks
             a huge rat. The same murderous impulse appears when his secret
             dread of the delicatessen robbery impels him to commit a vicious
             assault on his friend Gus. Bigger commits both of the brutal
             murders not in rage or anger, but as a reaction to fear. His
             typical fear stems from being caught in the act of doing
             something socially unacceptable and being the subject of
             punishment. Although he later admits to Max that Mary Dalton's
             behavior toward him made him hate her, it is not that hate which
             causes him to smother her to death, but a feeble attempt to evade
             the detection of her mother. The fear of being caught with a
             white woman overwhelmed his common sense and dictated his
             actions. When he attempted to murder Bessie, his motivation came
             from intense fear of the consequences of "letting" her live.
             Bigger realized that he could not take Bessie with him or leave
             her behind and concluded that killing her could provide her only
             The emotional forces that drive Bigger are conveye...