Exploring Literary Devices in Native Son

Notes Column
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EXPLORING LITERARY DEVICES
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IN N AT I V E S O N
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Lecture Presented by Ms. Thomason
for 11-12th Grade English ___________________________________
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Title Page ___________________________________

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OBJECTIVES FOR THIS LECTURE… ___________________________________
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1. Students will be able to identity literary devices within Native
Son, also aiding in their ability to recognize literary devices in
future works, by…
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Knowing the definition to literary devices
Knowing their intent and purposes (why they are used) ___________________________________
Knowing how to use literary devices
2. Students will be able to analyze the literary devices used within
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Native Son, and how Wright’s inclusion of these literary devices
aids in the development of the text. ___________________________________
Common Core Standards for 11-12th Grade English
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1. Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.RL.11-12.3)
2. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings;
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analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that
is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful
(CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.4)
3. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
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from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
(CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1) Objectives and Standards

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A COVER IS NOT THE BOOK ___________________________________
There is more to a text than what is simply ___________________________________
written on a page. It is the ideas, the thoughts,
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the concepts that are not explicitly revealed but
inferred by the author, prompting the audience ___________________________________
to look for the deeper meaning behind the text.
Therefore, we look within literary devices for
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such answers. ___________________________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNvV6N7veRs ___________________________________
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Hook, Dual Coding

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Ms. Thomason
Exploring Literary Devices in Native Son

Think about one literary device that you are familiar
with, and on a piece of paper write down the device, a
definition, and give an example. Once you have
completed this task I want you to share it with the
person next to you. Listen to each others definitions
and examples, and provide any advice or assistance
to help one another retain your literary device.
Progress Monitoring Question
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WHAT ARE LITERARY DEVICES?
Literary devices are the techniques and elements—from poetic ___________________________________
meters to figures of speech to narrative devices—that writers
incorporate into their work to add texture, energy, and ___________________________________
excitement to the narrative, capturing the audience’s
imagination, and conveying information through different forms. ___________________________________
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LITERARY DEVICES COMMONLY FOUND IN DIFFERENT GENRES ___________________________________
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Prose Poetry Drama ___________________________________
•Simile •Figurative language •Dramatic Irony
•Metaphor (alliteration,
assonance, etc.)
•Foreshadowing ___________________________________
•Personification •Red Herring
•Imagery (sight, touch,
•Diction
•Symbol
etc.)
•Paradox
•Situational Irony
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•Sound (rhyme, etc.)
•Tone •Allusion
•Rhythm (meter, etc.) ___________________________________
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Ms. Thomason
Exploring Literary Devices in Native Son

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WHAT IS PROSE? ___________________________________
Prose is a written or spoken language in its ordinary ___________________________________
form, without metrical structure (e.g. a conversation,
textbooks, lectures, novels, short stories, newspapers, ___________________________________
articles, magazines, essays).
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Why is Native Son a prose piece?
On a piece of paper write down
three examples as to why Native
Son is considered a prose. After
you are finished share your findings
with the person next to you.
Progress Monitoring Question
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WHY WE USE LITERARY DEVICES… ___________________________________
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Now that we have discussed a little about literary
devices, what they are, when and where they are ___________________________________
used, lets watch a short video describing why
author’s routinely incorporate literary devices and ___________________________________
techniques into their work.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSYw502dJNY
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Dual Coding

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Ms. Thomason
Exploring Literary Devices in Native Son
LITERARY DEVICES
While there is an abundant list of literary devices (…),
for this presentation we will focus on the major literary
devices used throughout Native Son, such as…
 Symbolism
 Foreshadowing
 Metaphor
 Irony
SYMBOLISM
Symbolism is the usage of an object, sign, word, mark,
or item, in a way to indirectly represent ideas, qualities,
or opinions.
Examples:
 Green: new life, fertility, hope
 Winter: death, sleep, hibernation, or stagnation
 Three: signifies fulfillment; Holy Trinity; beginning,
middle, end; past, present, and future
SYMBOL IN NATIVE SON
The Rat
The rat illustrates the living standards of Bigger Thomas
and his family, as it shows the conventional, impoverished
environment African Americans were forced to inhabit
during the 1930’s in America.
In addition, the rat also acts as a symbol for Bigger Thomas
because they are both cornered by society (Bigger
cornering the rat/white society cornering Bigger), and they
both face the same fate of being killed.
Ms. Thomason
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Exploring Literary Devices in Native Son

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FORESHADOWING ___________________________________
Foreshadowing is when a writer gives an advance hint of
what is to come later in the story; often appears at the ___________________________________
beginning of a story, or a chapter, and it helps the reader
develop expectations about upcoming events. ___________________________________
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Example:
"From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/A pair of star-cross'd lovers
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take their life” (1.1.5-12).
During the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, these lines foreshadow how a
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pair of lovers (Romeo and Julie) will inevitably take their lives.
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*The three weird sisters in Macbeth deliver three apparitions to Macbeth—the first is to
beware of MacDuff, no woman will harm Macbeth, and lastly Macbeth has nothing to fear
until Great Birnam Wood arrives at Dunsinane Hill. Inevitably, everything comes true.
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FORESHADOWING IN NATIVE SON
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A Mother’s Prophecy
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Mrs. Thomas warns Bigger Thomas early on in the novel that
“If you don't stop running with that gang of yours and do
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right you'll end up where you never thought you would… And
the gallows is at the end of the road you traveling, boy.”
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This quote foreshadows Bigger’s inevitable fate in jail by the
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end of the story, despite his attempts to rewrite his life and
redefine himself from social stereotypes.
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METAPHOR
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or
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phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not ___________________________________
literally applicable.
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Examples:
 She was fishing for compliments
(The woman isn't literally casting a lure to hook compliments out of the
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ocean. Rather, it signifies a desire for accolades.)
 He broke my heart ___________________________________
(Your heart isn't literally broken; you're just feeling hurt and sad)
 You light up my life ___________________________________
(Someone isn’t really lighting up, but brining someone joy in their life)
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Ms. Thomason
Exploring Literary Devices in Native Son

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METAPHOR IN NATIVE SON
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Mrs. Dalton’s Blindness
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Mrs. Dalton’s blindness serves as a metaphor for white
society’s social and cultural blindness. Just as she ___________________________________
couldn’t see Bigger in the room with her daughter, Mary
Dalton, or acknowledge that Mary was actually dead in ___________________________________
the room, the white characters throughout the novel are
blind to the social inequalities around them.
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On a piece of paper come up with
two of your own metaphors, then
share with the person next to you.
After sharing, I want you and your
partner to combine one of your
metaphors together and see what
gets created.
Progress Monitoring Question
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IRONY
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Irony is the expression of one's meaning by using language that
normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or ___________________________________
emphatic effect.
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Examples:
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 The police station got robbed.
(It is expected that the professional crime fighters would be able to help themselves)
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 The pilot has a fear of heights.
(Since airplane pilots spend most of their time high in the air and they shouldn’t be ___________________________________
afraid of flying)
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Ms. Thomason
Exploring Literary Devices in Native Son
IRONY IN NATIVE SON
When Bigger Thomas claims he could fly a plane if he
had a chance, Gus replies, “If you wasn't black and if
you had some money and if they'd let you go to that
aviation school, you could fly a plane.”
After Gus states all the reasons preventing Bigger from
attaining his dream of flying a plane, Gus still assures
Bigger that he could fly a plane. However, since Bigger
will always bare these social hindrances, there’s no
possible way for him ever to fly a place.
Without looking back at the notes you
have taking during this presentation,
write on a separate piece a paper the
definitions of symbolism,
foreshadowing, metaphor and irony.
Culminating Activity/Question
For this activity I want you to go
through Native Son and find your
own examples of symbolism,
foreshadowing, metaphor, and irony,
different from the examples I
provided within this presentation.
Make sure to provide textual support
and analysis for each literary device.
Culminating Activity/Question
Ms. Thomason
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