"Native Son" and Beyond
I am ashamed to think how far behind I've fallen in keeping up with our blog so far this year. I guess it really doesn't matter since it appears not too many friends are visiting it. Nevertheless I plan to keep it going. I actually have not been to any Book Club meetings since January. The Lenten and Easer season took over my life again but a last the school year is ending and hopefully I'll be able to return to meetings. Since I knew I wouldn't make any meetings I have also not kept up with the readings. Below are some thoughts sent to Roxanne on "Native Son" back in March.
I won't be able to make this month's book club meeting. It's Lent again (sigh). I just finished "Native Son" and wanted to let you know that I really liked it. I listened to the audio book which I think made it much more intriguing. It felt like listening to one of those old radio shows or "film noir" movies from that era. I'm sure that was probably Richard Wright's inspiration while writing it. I even found myself visualizing a black and white 1930's movie during parts of it. Maybe it was his rich imagery of light and shadow that did it, or the overly dramatized melodrama. But it worked. It was part Humphrey Bogart, CSI and Law and Order all in one package. I loved it! As a piece of literature I thought it was very well done but as a piece of social commentary on race relations it did nothing for me. I never felt that Bigger had any justification in his crime merely because of his race. I found him to be just another cold hearted misogynistic bully and a whiner. Not much different than Clyde Griffiths in "An American Tragedy" or Peter Houghton in "Nineteen Minutes." Both were white boys that Bigger would probably have hated as much as he hated Mary Dalton. Yet both of these other characters committed murder and felt justified in doing so to make up for a disadvantaged life. Peter especially is singled out for his differences and subjugated for liking the "wrong kind of girl." and it had nothing to do with race. It would have been interesting to see Bigger, Clyde and Peter in a cell together all sharing their feelings (all of whom seemed to have difficulty with this by the way.) I wonder how that would have played out? Don't get me wrong I did feel some sympathy for Bigger. The real tragedy was in his stubborness to wallow in self-pity and refuse to choose the right path simply because it was the right thing to do. Anyway thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I will miss not hearing all the great discussion. I hope I haven't offended you by any of this. I would enjoy hearing your take on the book. I'm not really sure what the author's point was or if he even had one. Thanks for picking this book. I'm glad I had the chance to read it.
I won't be able to make this month's book club meeting. It's Lent again (sigh). I just finished "Native Son" and wanted to let you know that I really liked it. I listened to the audio book which I think made it much more intriguing. It felt like listening to one of those old radio shows or "film noir" movies from that era. I'm sure that was probably Richard Wright's inspiration while writing it. I even found myself visualizing a black and white 1930's movie during parts of it. Maybe it was his rich imagery of light and shadow that did it, or the overly dramatized melodrama. But it worked. It was part Humphrey Bogart, CSI and Law and Order all in one package. I loved it! As a piece of literature I thought it was very well done but as a piece of social commentary on race relations it did nothing for me. I never felt that Bigger had any justification in his crime merely because of his race. I found him to be just another cold hearted misogynistic bully and a whiner. Not much different than Clyde Griffiths in "An American Tragedy" or Peter Houghton in "Nineteen Minutes." Both were white boys that Bigger would probably have hated as much as he hated Mary Dalton. Yet both of these other characters committed murder and felt justified in doing so to make up for a disadvantaged life. Peter especially is singled out for his differences and subjugated for liking the "wrong kind of girl." and it had nothing to do with race. It would have been interesting to see Bigger, Clyde and Peter in a cell together all sharing their feelings (all of whom seemed to have difficulty with this by the way.) I wonder how that would have played out? Don't get me wrong I did feel some sympathy for Bigger. The real tragedy was in his stubborness to wallow in self-pity and refuse to choose the right path simply because it was the right thing to do. Anyway thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I will miss not hearing all the great discussion. I hope I haven't offended you by any of this. I would enjoy hearing your take on the book. I'm not really sure what the author's point was or if he even had one. Thanks for picking this book. I'm glad I had the chance to read it.
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