eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of Native Son so you can excel on your essay or test. Wright illustrates that racism is destructive to both groups, though for very different reasons. Indeed, one of the great strengths of Native Son as a chronicle of the effects of oppression is Wright’s extraordinary ability to explore the psychology not only of the oppressed but of the oppressors as well. Reading Time: 5 minutes In this post, I present to you a step by step discussion of the theme of racial inequality in Native Son, a novel by the African-American writer, Richard Wright.. For the sake of simplicity, the discussion is divided into sections under the following sub-headings. Baldwin was born in a time when being black was extremely difficult. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Native Son, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. In part, the environment in which we are raised creates certain knee-jerk reactions and also presents us with life options. Though he was not subjected to the same rules as his grandparents may have been, he still suffered as a result of having black skin. The theme of Native Son according to my group’s understanding is racism, segregation, and distress. First, Bigger is in a constant state of fear, which he does not engage with, and which drives him to be angry and violent. Blindness/Hubris. Native Son Themes. Native Son suggests that we are only partially in control of or responsible for our own actions. Some people have more options (and better options) than others. Territory. Fear is one of the most important themes in Native Son. Discussion of themes and motifs in Richard Wright's Native Son. Madness. Questions About Fate and Free Will Whiteness, Blackness, and Racism Native Son is a meditation on racial relations in 1930s Chicago, told from the perspective of Bigger Thomas , a young African-American man who, enraged at society, accidentally kills Mary Dalton , whose body he later burns in a furnace ; and Bessie , … There is a set of rules set by society that African Americans had to abide by preventing them from doing the things white people were able to do. In the 1930s racism in southern Chicago was very common. One of the major themes discussed by Baldwin is racism. Identity. Psychological Escape.