Representations of Women in Native Son

Representations of Women in Native Son In his most famous novel, Native Son, Richard Wright's female characters exist not as self-sufficient, but only in relation to the male figures of authority that surround them, such as their boyfriends, husbands, sons, fathers, and Bigger Thomas, the protagonists. Wright presents the women in Native Son as meaningless without a male counterpart, in which the women can not function as an independent character on their own. Although Wright depicts clearly the oppression of Blacks, he appears unconscious of creating female characters who regardless of race, are exploited and suppressed. Their sole purpose in the novel is to further the story by putting Bigger in new and more dangerous situations by questioning or threatening his male authority. Each major woman character in the story represents through her actions and particular personality a different kind of threat to Bigger's masculine power. There is Bigger's mother Mrs. Thomas, who offers him nothing in the way of motherly support, although Bigger perceives her caring as constant insult and nagging. Along side his mother is Bigger's sister Vera who loves her brother, but has similar doubts about his motives in the family. Next we have Mary Dalton, the idealistic and headstrong young white girl whose intention is to connect with Bigger and make him feel like her equal, which eventually gets her killed. Her mother, Mrs. Dalton, is virtually her complete opposite: helpless, weak and frail. Her one influence on the storyline is her indirect responsibility for her daughter's murder. And finally there is Peggy, a patronizing Irish, and Bessie, Bigger's overworked, excitable, alcoholic girlfriend and second murder victim. In general she is not intelligent or strong enough to pose a real threat to his security, but when she questions Bigger's authority he is compelled to kill her. Each of these women is different, but in the end each plays the same part--the intimidator, the