AustinIovanna

Mrs.Kehoe
BlackVoices
14May2015
Sculpted,Deformed,Broken
Racismisnotanideology,butaninstitution.Itisnotinheritedbutlearnedandit
inevitablyinfluencesthewayonechosestoviewtheworldanditscontents.Inthislight,
onesperceptionisbredandencouragedbysocialandphysicalsurroundings.Especiallyin
todaysdayandage,itiseasytobeinfluencedandforopinionstobeswayedbythingslike
religion,popculture,technology,etc.TheaudienceofNativeSonbyRichardWright
witnessesthesesocietalstimuliandhowtheyaffectactionsderivativeofprejudices.Whether
oneseesBiggersstrugglesasaresultofothersviewsofthemelanininhisskinortheracism
bredandperpetuatedbywhitepowersinversely,bothfacetsinformsituationalbiases.
Speakingfrompersonalexperience,myupbringinghasgreatresponsibilityfortheyoungman
whoIamtoday,thusmakingmeafirmbelieverinbehavioralmoldingandguidance.Itcan
beseeninNativeSon,likeinreality,howonespersonalenvironmentalcircumstancesheavily
influencethecultivationoftoxicbehaviorsandthedivisionofnegativebeliefsystems.
Therearefourblankwallsenclosingafatherlessfamilyoffour.Thegroundis
coveredinasinglemotherstiredattemptatscrubbingtheblemishedwoodenfloorsandthe
airthatsiftsinthroughthesolewindowseemsheavy,saturatedwiththegritoftheChicago
alleyways.ThisistheairbeinginhaledeachdaybytheThomasfamilyBigger,Vera,Buddy
andMrs.Thomas.

OnceBiggerlandedthejobofworkingfortheDaltonfamily,hebegantorealizejust
howsizablethesocialdivideisbetweentheblacksandthewhitesofChicago.Oncehemet
hiswealthyboss,Biggerwaseagertostartanewportionofhislifewithsturdygoalsof
makingdecentmoneyandsupportinghisfamily.Howeverthepathsofthispairhavecrossed
withoutinitialrealization.LittledidBiggerknowthatwhenhestartedworkattheDaltons,
hewouldbefacedwiththemanheandhisfamilyhadbeenpayingrenttoformonths.Ashe
wanderedhisdisheveledneighborhood,henoticedasignreadingTHISPROPERTYIS
MANAGEDBYTHESOUTHSIDEREALESTATECOMPANYMr.Daltonownedthe
SouthSideRealEstateCompany,andtheSouthSideRealEstateCompanyownedthehouse
inwhichhelived.Hepaideightdollarsaweekforoneratinfestedroom.Hehadneverseen
Mr.Daltonuntilhehadcometoworkforhim(hewas)somewherefaraway,highup,
distant,likeagod.HeownedpropertyallovertheBlackBelthewouldrenthousesto
Negroesonlyinthisprescribedareas,thiscornerofthecitytumblingdownfromrot.
(Wright,173174)Itisunderstandablehowinfuriatingitcouldbe,realizingthatwhileyour
newwhitebossandlandlordfeastsonfiletmignonandFrenchmerlot,yourechasingratsand
scroungingforyournextdecentmeal.Daltonspositiveandfriendlydemeanorisdeceptiveof
hisactualvaluesoratleastthevaluesimpliedbyhisactions.Biggersuddenlyfeelswedged
betweenhisowndestiny;Heisinternallydivided,notknowingifheshouldobeylikethe
whitesofthecountrywouldlikehiskindtodo,orrevoltagainstthepowersthatbe.Already
livinginadisheveledandsegregatedcommunity,hefeelsshackledbytheconstraintsofwhite
power.ThisignoranceleadshimtotheoutlookhehasonthedeathofMaryDalton.Oncehe
becomespartiallyresponsibleforherdeath,hefeelsanimmediateneedtocoverupwhathe

hasdone,asaninvasivesenseofguiltwashesoverhim.Asanaudience,existinginthemind
ofBiggerasthetragedyunfoldslendsustounderstandwhathasdrawnhimtothisguilt.His
family,hisracialbackground,aswellasthejuxtapositionofhisskincolorandthefamilyhe
hascometoserveareallfactorsthatledhimtothis.Notonlywashetocoverupherdeath
andputoffanyexplanationforaslongashepossiblycould,butoncehefiguredhecouldget
awaywiththat,hewaswillingtogoasfarastouseherdeathasameanstoreceivemoney
fromtheDaltons.TheblindnessofMr.Daltoninaccordancewithhisillinformedbusiness
approachmayhavebeenveiledtoothers,howeverInasullenwayBiggerwasconsciousof
this.Yes;hewouldsendthekidnapnote(174).Practicallyremorseless,Biggercouldeasily
usethissituationforpersonalgain.Daltonsactionsaresymbolicofthemassoppressionof
blacks.Thefactthatheisdescribedasgodlyandwithasurfeitofpoweroverthefamilies
whosehousesherentsoutisenoughtoprovethepressuresthatBiggerexperienceswhile
associatingwithhim.Nottomention,thisdescriptionperpetuatestheracialdivideofblacks
andwhiteacrucialmoveonWrightshand.ThissetofcircumstancesthatBiggerisfaced
withisaprimeexampleoftheinfluencethatenvironmentcanhaveovertheindividual.
Manywonderwhatitisthatdrawsonetocommitmurder.Moreoftenthannot,the
individualcommittingthiscrimehasreasonandmotivetoacertaindegreebeitrationalor
not.Thisbringsonetoobservethepsychologicalmakeupoftheindividualandwhatseed
wasplanted,resultinginthesproutingofsuchperilousactions.Inhistory,itcanbeseenthat
thesourceofmanymurdersandvariouskillingsispower.InBiggerscase,hehasthe
dauntingeffectsofwhitesupremacyandJimCrowbreathingdownhiscollar.Whenyoutake
extremistpowerandlookatitscorrelationtopressure,withouteveninvolvingrace

necessarily,itcanbeseenhowtheinferiorpartycollapsesunderthatpower.Theysearch
desperatelyforasenseofselfworthandintrinsicauthoritywhilestillholdingthebranded
titleofasubstandardhumanbeing,regardlessofthesituation.Perfectlyexplicated,spokenby
LordActon,Powertendstocorrupt;absolutepowercorruptsabsolutely.
BiggerThomasisresponsibleforatotaloftwodeathsthroughoutthecourseofNative
Son,howeverbothofthemurderscouldnotbeanymoredifferentiated.AsIdiscussed,
Bigger(atfirst)viewsMarysdeathasmoreofanaccidentthananything.Hissurroundings
educatehimnaturally,diminishinganysenseofguiltthatmayhaveexistedprior.Biggerlater
looksatMarysdeathasameanstoprovelossandtragedytoapowerthathashadtainted
sovereignty,knowingnotofthestruggleandterrortheysonaturallypractice.Althoughher
deathmayhavebeenpartiallyaccidental,hisdismembermentofherbodyiswhatputBigger
inadifferentlight.Biggersawedthebladeintothefleshandstruckabone.Hegrittedhis
teethandcutharder(until)theheadhunglimplyonthenewspapers,thecurlyblackhair
draggingaboutinblood.(92).Marysdeath,withoutmentioningthesefollowupactions
could,inaway,putBiggeronatypeofpedestalforgettingbackordefendinghimself
againstthepowersthatsuppressedhim.Nonetheless,thisbrutaldescriptionillustrateshow
BiggerwasneverobligatedtokillMaryDaltonbutinsteadwasformedintothisbeingwho
attainedthecapacitytoproduceviciousnessandfeedoffofit.Theracistcircumstances
surroundingBiggeraretheforcesthatpressuredhimintobecomingthisferociousbeing,free
ofanyvirtueormorality.
Bessiesdeathisanabsolutelydifferentexperience.Afterrepeatedlyattacking
Bessiesbodywithabrick,BiggersconsciousbeginsabattlewithhissanityandthenHe

wantedtodropthebrick,wantedtobefreeofthewarmbloodthatcreptandgrewpowerful
witheachpassingmoment.Thenadreadfulthoughtrenderedhimincapableofaction(237).
Thiskillingwasnoaccident,howeverinordertopersevereingettingridoftheburdenthat
Bessierepresented,Biggerturnsablindeyetorealityanddivertstheguiltheisfeelinginto
power.Thispower,althoughpainfulandillfated,gaveBiggerasenseofcontrolthathefailed
toexperiencewhileinferiortowhitepowersevenifmurderingwasthevehiclethathelped
surfacethiscontrol.
AlloftheseactionsareeventuallywhatledtoBiggerunknowinglyabidingbythe
blackstereotyperegulatedbythewhitesupremacy,everythingthathewastryingsofervently
nottobehisentirelife.Evenwhenheisfacedwithhisfamilyinhisjailcell,thenarrationof
thenovelquestions,Hadhenottakenfullyuponhimselfthecrimeofbeingblack?Hadhe
notdonethethingwhichtheydreadedaboveallothers?(296)Inotherterms,Wrightis
tryingtoexpressthatBiggerhassuccumbedtohisowndefiance.Biggerhasformedintothis
chauvinisticimageofablackfool,selfperpetuatingthepersonahetriedtorunfromsincethe
dayheaccidentallymurderedMaryDalton.Wright,bydoingthis,isusingBiggerasameans
toembodythehopelessnessofactualindividualsinthewhitewashedearly20thcentury
America.Throughthisexample,weseejusthoweffectedonecanbecomeafterbalancing
sanityinaworldwheretheirkindisntwelcome.Thesearetheattitudesandactionsthat
drewBiggertokillandmoveon.
Itisbeyondimportanttoeducateyourselfinthiseverevolvingworld.Eachday,
mentalitiesaremoldingstereotypesarebeingpracticedpropagatedhumanityisrunning
furtherandfurtherfrompeaceonearth.Althoughthisenvironmentisnotideal,societymust

learnnotonlytocopebutalsotostayinformedoftheirsurroundingsespeciallyifthereare
parentswhoraisedtheirchildrenbiasedly(inwhateverdirection).Iwasfortunateenoughto
havebeenraisedbyopenminded,respectedparentswhomadeitaprioritytoenforcetheidea
ofequality.Theywereandstillareaccepting,understandingandempathetictomyneedsand
thoseofothers.Thishasbeeninfusedinmeconstantlythinkingoptimisticallyand
consciously.SinceIcanremember,mymotheralwayssaid,Peoplearepeople.Atayoung
age,itwashardtoprocessanddefinethisseeminglymenialphrase.However,asahigh
schoolsenior,Icanseehowthissetofwordshasunintentionallybecomeapartofmy
everydaylife.WhenImeetpeople,Iseetheirmindandspirittheirsoul.ThisishowIreact
andrelatetothem;nottheirskincolor,ethnicbackground,religion,language,etc.Thismeans
nothingtome,andIthankmyparentsforleadingmeinthisdirection.Igothroughlife
witnessinghatredandprejudicesthatarestillaliveandactiveintheworld.Althoughitisnt
constant,whenyoupaycloserattentiontothosearoundyouitiseasiertopickouthowothers
vieweachother.Onceoneseyesareopentothis,itiscleartoseewhatIampreaching.
Thelevelofignoranceinournationiscounterintuitiveandironicwhentakinginto
considerationthefoundingvaluesofourcountry.Allmenarecreatedequallyisaphrase
thathasbeenignoredandinversedbymanywhochoosetolivebytheattitudesoftheir
predecessors,furtherperpetuatingdangerousandillogicalschema.Perhapsifindividualsput
theirenergytowardcomingtotermswiththeirblindness,theworldwouldbemakingforward
steps;orperhaps,thisistoomuchtohopefor.We,asanationmustbegratefulfortheleaps
andboundswehavemadesincerealcitizenswereincomparablesituationstothoseofBigger
andtheothercharactersofNativeSon.However,inordertoimproveevenfurther,wemust

takewhatWrightisrelayingaboutracismandwhatitdoestoanindividualeventually
makingthereallifeapplications.Racismmoldsyouanddeformsyou;ittearsyouapartand
chokesyouuntilyousuccumbtoitsdeviousways.Socialproductivityandunityderivefrom
anoptimistic,encouragingstateofmind.Thedaywillcomewhenthisstateofmindbecome
universalandnotoneindividualwithliveinfearofbeingsculpted,deformedandbroken.