DavidSantos

ELANativeSon
1/20/16

NativeSon

Ifyouhaveeverbeenforcedtorelocatebecauseoffinancialdifficultiesorother
complications,thenyougraspthatatthesimplestlevelcopingwithyournewenvironmentisnot
aneasytask.Meetingnewpeople,goingnewplacesiscompellinglystressfulforpeoplewhoare
notadeptatadapting.Bigger,acharacterfromNativeSon,embodiesdoubleconsciousness
becauseheisconflictedwiththeidealsandimpositionsofwhitesocietywhileBiggerisunable
tofindconsistencywithinhimself.Inasimilarfashion,Biggerexperiencesconflictakinto
movingbecausehehasmetsomelevelofdifficultywhenattemptingtoadjusthisbehavior
aroundwhites.NativeSonisabookbyRichardWrightthatentailsthenarrativeofBigger,a
twentytwoyearoldcoloredmanwhoresidesintheruinsofaChicagoneighborhoodriddenwith
povertyanddestitution.BiggersmotherstrugglestoraiseafamilyofthreeallthewhileBigger
isburdenedwithprioritiesexacerbatedbylackoffinancialsupportfromhisfather,whose
whereaboutsareunknown.Atcertainpointsthroughoutthebook,doubleconsciousnessis
demonstratedthroughthepersonaofBigger(Santos,1).W.E.B.DuBoiswasoneofthemost
iconicfiguresinalloftheAfricanAmericanhistory,whoseideasstrivedtoresolvethestruggles
AfricanAmericansfaced,especiallymen.Doubleconsciousnessistheuniquefeelingthatyour
identityhasbeenmadedivergentbysocietalimpositions.ManyAfricanAmericans,likeBigger,
wereunsureastowheretheystoodinsocietyandthereforeexperiencedabehavioralcrisis.
ThesefeelingswerealmostexclusivetoAfricanAmericansbecausetheyweretheonesmost

affectedbydoubleconsciousness.Throughoutcertainsegmentsofthebook,Biggerspersona
canbeviewedthroughthetheoryofdoubleconsciousness.
BiggerandGusdemonstratetheirknowledgeofdoubleconsciousnesswhentheyengage
inagamecalledwhite.Specificallyinthispartofthebook,Biggerispostedupagainstthe
wall,smokingcigaretteswithoneofhisbestfriend,Gus.Inanaturalandrelaxedstate,Bigger
andGuspensivelyobservecarsastheypassby.ToamuseGusandpasstime,Biggermockthe
mannerismsofwhitesthroughbehaviorandspeech.Wrightwrites,ThesilenceirkedBiggerhe
wasanxioustodosomethingtoevadelookingsosquarelyatthisproblem.Letsplaywhite,
Biggersaid,referringtoagameofplayactinginwhichheandhisfriendsimitatedthewaysand
mannersofwhitefolks.(Pg.17).WhenBiggersaysLetsplaywhite,heismockingthe
condescendingspeechofwhitepeople.Biggerbelievesthatitistypicalofwhitepeopleto
deployelaboratewordstoachieveacertainimageorstatus.Insteadofconcerninghimselfwith
theinterestsofothers,Biggershouldworryabouthimselfbecausebyengaginginthegameof
white,heisonlyfurtherperpetuatingstereotypesaboutthewhitecommunity.Thefactthat
BiggerimitateswhitesocietyprovesthatBiggeracknowledgesthewaysinwhichwhitepeople
speakcomparedtoblackpeople.ImportantquestionsarisefromBiggersdoubleconsciousness,
suchasWhywoulditseemrationalforBiggertotrytoeliminateorhidecertainthingsabout
himselfunlesstherewasasignificantcompellingreasonforhimtodoso?Intruth,Bigger
restrainshimselffromgivinghishonestopinionastohowhetrulyfeels.Inconclusion,Bigger
unknowinglyperpetuatesstereotypesandindoingsoacknowledgesdoubleconsciousness.
AnothertimeBiggerdisplaysdoubleconsciousnessiswhenhemurdersMary.According
toSantos,NativeSonreachesitsclimaxwhenBigger,afteraccompanyingMary(thedaughterof

Mr.Dolton,hisboss)andJan(Marysboyfriend)toplacesofinterests,unintentionally
suffocatesMaryinhopesofstiflinghercries..AfterBiggerregainshisconsciousnessand
composure,herealizeshemustdeviseanelaboratestrategytoconcealanytracesofevidence,
essentiallyavoidinganyaffiliationorrelationtothecrime.WrightsaysShewasdeadandhe
hadkilledher.Hewasamurderer,aNegromurderer,ablackmurderer.Hehadkilledawhite
woman.Hehadtogetawayfromthere(Pg.87).Thequote,Hehadtogetawayfromthere,
showsthatBiggerdoesnotwanttobeaccusedofthecrime.Peopleofcolorwhowereseen
togetherwithpeoplewhowerewhiteweresuspectedofrape,owingtothefactthatsociety
lookeduponinterracialcoupleswithcontempt.Asaresult,Biggerdesperatelywishestohide
anyformofevidencebecauseheknowsthatamurdererwhoisblackwillonlycontributetothe
misrepresentationoftheblackcommunity.EssentiallyBiggersinnerturmoiliscausedbythe
realizationthathisskincolorexacerbatesthesituation.
Biggerdemonstratesdoubleconsciousnesswhenherealizeshowhisskincolorimpedes
himfromprogression.Morespecifically,whenheandGusdiscussdreamsandaspirations,
Biggerrevealsthathewouldliketopursueacareerinflying:I
could
flyaplaneifIhada
chance,Biggersaid.Ifyouwasntblackandifyouhadsomemoneyandiftheydletyougoto
thataviationschool,you
could
flyaplane,Gussaid.Itsfunnyhowthewhitefolkstreatus,
aintit?(Pg.17)Thisquoteexemplifiesdoubleconsciousnessbecauseitisonlyatthatmoment
thatBiggerrealizeshowwhitessuppressblacksfromachievingastateofprogression.He
additionallyrealizesthatheisunabletobenefitfromwhiteprivilege.Heisawarethatifheever
wishedtostriveforthatcareerchoice,hewouldbemetwithcriticismfrompeoplewhobelieve
thatitistoounconventionalandunusualforaAfricanAmericantoflyaplane.Inconclusion,

Biggerdemonstratesdoubleconsciousnessbecauseheisawareofthedifficultiespresentwhen
choosingtopursuecertaincareers.