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Jess's Book Club Pick For September

By Jessica Schneider Aug 31, 2007, 15:06 GMT

Jess’s book club selection for the September month is Richard Wright’s Native Son, published by HarperPerennial.

Many people have said they don’t get enough good recommendations of classic books so read, and so that’s why we’re here. We’re picking them for you. Feel free to use these questions in your own book club discussions. Readers are also welcome to submit their own book club questions. Those readers whose questions are selected for further questions for the book club may receive a free copy of the book from the publisher.
M&C has worked out an arrangement with the publisher where those readers who submit the most well thought out questions about the book can then earn a free copy of the book for themselves or to pass on to a friend who can start their own clubs. Who decides? The book M&C Books Editors do. Your questions can get as complex as you like.
Questions can be submitted to: jessica.schneider at monstersandcritics dot com. Only serious questions will be considered. No silly ones please, even if they are funny and give me a good chuckle. It's just spam and your email will be deleted. Ditto goes for nasty ones. Be nice. Only questions submitted via email will be posted in the comments section. All questions that are submitted directly to the comments section, or any 'comments' that are not questions, will be deleted. We love it that you love the book, but the comments are for selected questions to be added to Jess's Book Club's official questions.
If you don't hear back from me, that does not mean you did not earn a book. We have to see how the month plays out and then I will compare and make my decision on which questions I think were the most thoughtful. And by 'thoughtful' I don't mean in the touchy-feely sense. You know what I mean. In the email, please include first and last name, as well as your real world address. These will not be posted online in the comments section, only the questioner's first name. Winner's names and addresses will be forwarded on to the publisher, who will ship them a copy to get their real world book clubs going.
As we start this, perhaps all the questioners will get books, but depending upon future success, only the more intriguing, penetrating and deep questions may be rewarded with a free book from the publisher. Below, you will see ten questions about the book that readers can discuss. Many thanks for those who participated last month.
So here we go:
1) Given the change in culture from 1940s to today, is the first name of the character too obvious in what the author is referring to?
2) What does the book state regarding black male lust towards white women? Is this an accurate depiction of how the culture then regarded it?
3) How does Mr. and Mrs. Dalton’s Guilty White Liberalism reflect the differences in attitude between urban and suburban environments?
4) What of Bigger’s contrasting emotions when he kills? What do they reflect?
5) What does Bigger’s family life foreshadow about Black America?
6) What does walking out into the blizzard signify? What is the author trying to show?
7) How does Wright handle communism in the book? Is he pro, con, or both?
8) What does Jan’s ‘forgiveness’ towards Bigger say about his character? Is there more to Jan’s forgiveness than just his personal attitude? Is there a political agenda involved?
9) What does Mr. Dalton’s gift of the ping-pong tables signify, both in his character and also the ping-pong tables themselves?
10) How does Bigger’s lawyer’s attitude contrast Bigger’s own reaction towards his own fate? What do their differences signify?

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Michael van der GaliënSep 8th, 2007 - 19:12:38

Jessica,

Great pick for the book club. I'll be sure to send you a question!

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EsmaSep 22nd, 2007 - 14:54:23

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?

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MichaelSep 22nd, 2007 - 14:54:55

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?

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MarkSep 30th, 2007 - 21:08:50

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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