Figurative Language In Richard Wright's Native Son

In Native Son, Wright utilizes various forms of figurative language in order to immerse readers into the plot of the story. Through his descriptive words and the images he creates, Wright allows readers to fully experience his settings and the dramatic events through Bigger’s senses and observations. The readers are constantly pulled into the action of the plot with Wright’s imagery, and are carried along with Bigger as he prepares his next moves. In the novel, Wright commonly uses similes. He writes, “Mixed images of violence ran like sand through his mind, dry and fast, vanishing” (34). Comparing Bigger’s thoughts to quick-moving sand, Wright describes Bigger’s coursing emotions which preceded his fight with Gus. Personification is also
In this instance, Wright details Bigger’s attentiveness, where he can hear the words spoken to him, but did not interpret those words because his focus was distant from the matter at hand. After Bigger threw Mary’s body into the furnace, he saw a white figure and Wright depicts, “His mouth opened in a silent scream and his body became hotly paralyzed” (115). Wright illustrates Bigger’s silent reaction through an oxymoron. Bigger was shocked to see the Daltons’ cat, but cautious of making any noise, he restrained his scream to prevent himself from gathering any more attention. Wright exhibits apostrophe when Bigger’s mother calls to the Lord out of frustration, exclaiming, “Lord, I get so tired of this I don’t know what to do” (11). Like this example, Wright commonly uses apostrophe, specifically directed to the Lord, to show the stereotypical religious fervency of the black race. When Bigger watches as Max leaves the jail cell, onomatopoeia is used. “He heard the ring of steel against steel as a far door clanged shut” (545). Using the sounds that Bigger hears, Wright provides auditory characteristics of the steel door to accompany Bigger’s visual perception as