Books Interviews
By Jessica Schneider Aug 31, 2007, 15:06 GMT
Jess's Book Club Pick For September
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Older Talkback
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Jessica,
Great pick for the book club. I'll be sure to send you a question!
At the end of the novel, the boyfriend of Mary, Jan tries to save Bigger from the death penalty by giving Bigger a lawyer free of charge by telling him he is the victim of American society. Jan considers Bigger as a normal human being and the lawyer, Max, defends Bigger with his all effort to put an end to this hatred in society. In the novel, Jan is a communist, and that communist person is the only (white) one who tries to help Bigger in his struggle. Is it possible to think that Richard Wright thought that communism might be the solution of the racial tensions in American society and that that's why he created a communist character, Jan, to fight for the elimination of racism? Is it also possible to make a connection between the death penalty of Bigger and the unlikelihood of communism in American society?
In how far is Bigger, according to Wright, to blame for his own situation and his own crimes. Where does Wright, if he does, hold Bigger responsible for some of his own acts and where does he blame society? Is there any room for personal responsibility in Wright's view?
What factors primarily contributed to black Americans seeming inability to
sacrifice in the present and invest in their children's generation as the
Chinese and other minorities did during the same time period?
- What effect did Native Son and other books on the subject of race have on
the use of the death penalty in America? What impact did they have on the
definition of a speedy trial and the duration of the appeal process?
- Did real-life Communists in America see black Americans as a potential
foothold on which they could develop a meaningful power base?
- Given the dissatisfaction of black Americans with their lot, why did so
few of them choose to return to Africa after the Civil War?
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