Jim Hartley in National Association of Scholars:
Every now and then, I had heard that Wright was a fantastic writer. But not often enough; most of the time I heard about him it was in the context of “protest novel” and “communism.” But, I finally got around to reading Native Son. Wow. Great book, and as noted above, most probably, Great Book. But, its greatness has nothing to do with being a means of implicating America in being racist.The story: Bigger, a young black thug, gets a job as a chauffeur to wealthy white family, murders the daughter on his first night on the job, does a terrible job trying to cover up the crime, is discovered, flees, murders another girl, is caught, and is put on trial. The book highlights two great divides in American society.
First, the Black-White divide. As a historical matter, Wright’s book is enormously influential in highlighting this divide.
More here. (Note: Throughout February, at least one post will be devoted to Black History Month: A century of Black History Commemorations)
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