Native Son Summary

In Native Son, by Richard Wright, the main character is 20 year old Bigger Thomas. Growing up poor, uneducated, and angry at the whole world, it is almost obvious that Bigger is going to have a rough life. Anger, frustration, and violence are habits for him. He is an experienced criminal, and unable to handle with his wild mood swings, Bigger often explodes in fits of crazy, aggressive outrage. Bigger has grown up with the opinion …

…shamed Bigger. Jan gets his friend, Boris A. Max, to defend Bigger for free. He tries to save Bigger from the death penalty by arguing that what Bigger did was an affect of the environment he was in. Max warns the public that there will be more men like Bigger if America does not put an end to the huge cycle of hate and punishment. But, even after the trial, Bigger is sentenced to death.