Native Son
Itiana Clemmons
Native Son is a Novel by Richard Wright that was first published in 1940. In Native Son, the main charter Bigger faces both hard and good times. Throughout the book, there are arguments on weather or not his killings were nature or nurture. Biggers inner fear allows him to go through changes, some In which he may regret.
Biggers killer instincts within cause people to think that he was actually born a killer. Bigger constantly acts out when things aren't right for him, and he lets his anger take control oh his actions. “Gus sprang from the chair and grabbed a billiard bail from the table and threw it with half-sob and half-curs. Bigger flung his hands upward to shield his face and the impact of the ball struck his wrist.....Gus was flying through the rear door” page 40. This is an example of how Bigger attacks his friend Gus out of his own anger, for him being late. This kind of anger is an early killer act of what some people later party him to be.
Biggers emotions later cause him to kill 2 women; Mary and Bessie. Bigger killing Mary was Nurture. He didn't have to kill her he could have found another way to keep her quiet.’ He could not hear her breath coming and going now as he had when he first brought her into the room!” page 87 If Bigger noticed Mary wasn't breathing\, why would he continue to hold the pillow there? Clearly his intentions were to kill her, unless he was unsure she was dead at first. Bessie was another women in Native Son; she like Mary was also killed by Bigger. “ It became unbearable and something within him cried out in silent agony; he stopped until the brick hit the floor, then loosened his fingers, bringing his hand to his stomach where he whipped it dry. Gradually his beat subsided until he could no longer hear it and he knew for certain that Bessie was not breathing” page 238. This is another form of nurture because he killed another women, only this one belittled him so he felt like he had to kill her.
Nature or Nurture? Does Bigger play roles on both of these terms? In Mary’s situation he kills her because he couldn’t find any other way to keep her quiet. Of course he didn’t really have to, but he feels like that was the only way to shut her up. In Bessie’s situation, he kills her to show his power, and upper hand on her, because she doesn’t understand him.” And under it all, this made it hard for him he didn’t want to make believe that it was solved, make believe that he was happy when he was nt. He hated his mother for that ways of hers, which was like Bessie’s...... to loose himself in it so he could find himself, to be allowed a chance to live like the others, even though he was black.” page 240. Bigger's inner emotions are showing that he just wants to be equal to everyone else, and weather or not its good or bad, Bigger felt liker killing each of these ladies has made him stronger more or less. He may have thought if it was easier for him to do it the first time, he wouldn’t be as worried the next.
Weather his intensions were nature or nurture, it was his inner fear that got in the way of his inner emotions when he killed both Bessie and Mary. Being a black man during his time was hard. If you were in a battle between your emotions and fear what would you do?