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Richard Wright Fear

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In this paper I will discuss Richard Wright’s novel which was divided into three books, fear, flight, and fate. This novel was written about a young black man named Bigger Thomas who lived in Chicago in the 1930’s. Bigger struggles and realizes his limited opportunities (resisting, hating, and fearing). Bigger Thomas felt forced into a corner by discrimination and felt frustrated by racism. Bigger later felt as if he had the power over the Caucasian population once he murdered a white woman and a white man. The murders that Bigger committed finally gave Bigger his meaning of life while he sat in jail but unfortunately it was too late and his crimes resulting in a trial and execution. Bigger and his family lived in a grimy rat infested …show more content…

Bigger expressed his anger with Gus as if he was mad at Gus for showing up late as Bigger never told Gus that he still went on and committed the robbery without him, and most of all that he killed a man. Bigger knew that the fear of robbing a white man had hold of him when he started the fight with Gus (wright, 42). When Bigger planned to rob the Blums that was only an act of rebellion against his oppression because fear is what dominated Biggers life. The fear that Bigger cannot succeed in the real world is what is holding Bigger back. Even though bigger knows that he can do better in life he is scared to take a chance to make something of himself. Bigger is powerless against the white population because he believes that they have control over everything. The fear that is within him leads him to hurt his friends and even murder Mary Dalton. Throughout the book Bigger is overwhelmed by shame and fear and lashes out with violence, the only weapon he knows how to …show more content…

His mother was pressuring Bigger to take a job with a rich white man named Mr. Dalton, but Bigger instead chose to meet up with some of his friends to plan to rob a white man’s store. The anger, fear, and frustration defined Bigger’s life, and he is forced to camouflage his toughness or risk surrendering to depression. Although Bigger and his friends had robbed a lot of black owned businesses in the past, they have never robbed a white man before. Bigger does not see the white people as individuals, but he sees them as ordinary. Since Bigger is not left with any other options, he takes a job as a chauffeur for the Dalton family who his mother once worked for as a

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