About This Book

Native Son by Richard Wright is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that has been a cornerstone of American literature for generations. Published in 1940, this book provides a searing critique of racial divide and injustice in the United States. The story revolves around Bigger Thomas, a young black man who finds himself in a downward spiral after killing a young white woman in a moment of panic.

Who Uses It?

Primarily, Native Son is used by students and educators in courses focused on African American literature, sociology, and social justice. It is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the historical context of racial tensions in America. The book's themes of oppression, identity, and the struggle for equality continue to resonate with readers today.

History and Editions

The original publication of Native Son in 1940 was groundbreaking for its time, offering a raw and unflinching portrayal of life in Chicago's South Side. The book has since been re-released in various editions, including the 1998 paperback edition available through eCampus.com. This edition maintains the original's intensity while providing a more accessible format for modern readers.

Author and Other Works

Richard Wright was a prominent figure in 20th-century American literature. Born in 1908, Wright grew up in Mississippi and later moved to Chicago, where he became involved in the Harlem Renaissance movement. His works often explored themes of racism, identity, and social justice. Some of his notable works include Black Boy (1945), Lawd Today (1963), and The Outsider (1953).

Detailed Information

ISBNs and Formats

Hardcover: ISBN-13: 9780060929800
Paperback: ISBN-13: 9780060929800 (The ebook for "Native Son" is available right here on eCampus.com!)
Abridged Edition: ISBN-13: 9780060929800 (The ebook for "Native Son" is available right here on eCampus.com!)

Publication Details

Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: 1998
Number of Pages: 528
Language: English

Rental Options

Rental options are available through eCampus.com with various rental durations.

Related ISBNs

Abridged Edition: ISBN-13: 9780060929800
Ebook (Various Formats): ISBN-13: [Insert Correct Ebook ISBNs Here] (The ebook for "Native Son" is available right here on eCampus.com!)

Note: Ensure that the ebook ISBNs listed are accurate and not duplicates. If additional ebook ISBNs are found, they should be included here without specifying any digital platforms or retailers.

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This standardized format provides a clear and concise overview of Native Son, making it easier for students and educators to understand the book's significance and availability on eCampus.com.

Richard Wright was born in 1908 near Roxie, Mississippi. Native Son was the first novel by an African-American to be featured as a Main Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club. Richard Wright is also the author of Black Boy, The Outsider, The Long Dream, and many other books. He died in 1960.

Introduction

ix

Arnold Rampersad

Book One

1

(94)

Book Two

95

(176)

Book Three

271

(160)

How ``Bigger'' Was Born

431

(32)

Chronology

463

(22)

Note on the Texts

485

(4)

Notes

489

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Native Son Chapter One
Book One: Fear

Brrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinng!

An alarm clock clanged in the dark and silent room. A bed spring creaked. A woman's voice sang out impatiently:

"Bigger, shut that thing off!"

A surly grunt sounded above the tinny ring of metal. Naked feet swished dryly across the planks in the wooden floor and the clang ceased abruptly.

"Turn on the light, Bigger."

"Awright," came a sleepy mumble.

Light flooded the room and revealed a black boy standing in a narrow space between two iron beds, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands. From a bed to his right the woman spoke again:

"Buddy, get up from there! I got a big washing on my hands today and I want you-all out of here."

Another black boy rolled from bed and stood up. The woman also rose and stood in her nightgown.

"Turn your heads so I can dress," she said.

The two boys averted their eyes and gazed into a far comer of the room. The woman rushed out, of her nightgown and put on a pair of step-ins. She turned to the bed from which she had risen and called:

"Vera! Get up from there!"

"What time is it, Ma?" asked a muffled, adolescent voice from beneath a quilt.

"Get up from there, I say!"

"O.K., Ma."

A brown-skinned girl in a cotton gown got up and stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Sleepily, she sat on a chair and fumbled with her stockings. The two boys kept their faces averted while their mother and sister put on enough clothes to keep them from feeling ashamed; and the mother and sister did the same while the boys dressed. Abruptly, they all paused, holding their clothes in their hands, their attention caught by a light tapping in the thinly plastered walls of the room. They forgot their conspiracy against shame and their eyes strayed apprehensively over the floor.

"There he is again, Bigger!" the woman screamed, and the tiny, one-room apartment galvanized into violent action. A chair toppled as the woman, half-dressed and in her stocking feet, scrambled breathlessly upon the bed. Her two sons, barefoot, stood tense and motionless, their eyes searching anxiously under the bed and chairs. The girl ran into a corner, half-stooped and gathered the hem of her slip into both of her hands and held it tightly over her knees.

"Oh! Oh! " she waited.

"There he goes!"

The woman pointed a shaking finger. Her eyes were round with fascinated horror.

"Where?"

"I don't see 'im!"

"Bigger, he's behind the trunk!" the girl whimpered.

"Vera!" the woman screamed. "Get up here on the bed! Don't let that thing bite you!"

Frantically, Vera climbed upon the bed and the woman caught hold of her. With their arms entwined about each other, the black mother and the brown daughter gazed open-mouthed at the trunk in the corner.

Bigger looked round the room wildly, then darted to a curtain and swept it aside and grabbed two heavy iron skillets from a wall above a gas stove. He whirled and called softly to his brother, his eyes glued to the trunk.

"Buddy!"

"Yeah?"

"Here; take this skillet."

"O.K."

"Now, get over by the door!"

"O.K."

Buddy crouched by the door and held the iron skillet by its handle, his arm flexed and poised. Save for the quick, deep breathing of the four people, the room was quiet. Bigger crept on tiptoe toward the trunk with the skillet clutched stiffly in his hand, his eyes dancing and watching every inch of the wooden floor in front of him. He paused and, without moving an eye or muscle, called:

"Buddy!"

"Hunh?"

"Put that box in front of the hole so he can't get out!"

"O.K."

Buddy ran to a wooden box and shoved it quickly in front of a gaping hole in the molding and then backed again to the door, holding the skillet ready. Bigger eased to the trunk and peered behind it cautiously. He saw nothing. Carefully, he stuck out his bare foot and pushed the trunk a few inches.

"There he is!" the mother screamed again.

A huge black rat squealed and leaped at Bigger's trouser-leg and snagged it in his teeth, hangingon.

"Goddamn!" Bigger whispered fiercely, whirling and kicking out his leg with all the strength of his body. The force of his movement shook the rat loose and it sailed through the air and struck a wall. Instantly, it rolled over and leaped again. Bigger dodged and the rat landed against a table leg. With clenched teeth, Bigger held the skillet; he was afraid to hurl it, fearing that he might miss. The rat squeaked and turned and ran in a narrow circle, looking for a place to hide; it leaped again past Bigger and scurried on dry rasping feet to one side of the box and then to the other, searching for the hole. Then it turned and reared upon its hind legs.

"Hit 'im, Bigger!" Buddy shouted.

"Kill 'im! " the woman screamed.

The rat's belly pulsed with fear. Bigger advanced a step and the rat emitted a long thin song of defiance, its black beady eyes glittering, its tiny forefeet pawing the air restlessly. Bigger swung the skillet; it skidded over the floor, missing the rat, and clattered to a stop against a wall.

"Goddamn!"

The rat leaped. Bigger sprang to one side. The rat stopped under a chair and let out a furious screak. Bigger moved slowly backward toward the door.

"Gimme that skillet, Buddy," he asked quietly, not taking his eyes from the rat.

Buddy extended his hand. Bigger caught the skillet and lifted it high in the air. The rat scuttled across the floor and stopped again at the box and searched quickly for the hole; then it reared once more and bared long yellow fangs, piping shrilly, belly quivering.

Bigger aimed and let the skillet fly with a heavy grunt. There was a shattering of wood as the box caved in. The woman screamed and hid her face in her hands. Bigger tiptoed forward and peered.

"I got 'im," he muttered, his clenched teeth bared in a smile. "By God, I got 'im. "

He kicked the splintered box out of the way and the flat black body of the rat lay exposed, its two long yellow tusks showing distinctly. Bigger took a shoe and pounded the rat's head, crushing it, cursing hysterically:

"You sonofabitch!"

Excerpted from Native Son by Richard Wright
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.