History Literature / NativeSon

* ATragedyOfImpulsiveness: When Bigger realizes he's killed Mary, he panics and goes overboard trying to avoid being implicated, digging himself in deeper and deeper in the process. If he'd just walked away and left her in her bed after realizing she was dead, allowing her to simply be found dead in her bed the next morning, it's entirely possible that no one would have even realized Mary's death was the result of foul play.

* ATragedyOfImpulsiveness: When Bigger realizes he's killed Mary, he panics and goes overboard trying to avoid being implicated, digging himself in deeper and deeper in the process. The real tragedy is, if he'd just walked away and left her in her bed after realizing she was dead, her death might well have been mistaken for an accident.

* WealthyPhilanthropist: Deconstructed. Mr. Dalton donates a great deal of money to worthy causes, and takes a special interest in the black community, but at core he's just as racist as anyone else. His wealth is sustained by the exploitation of Chicago's black community, he redlines the properties he owns because "it's old tradition," and he clearly scoffs at the idea of social equality between the races.

Set in 1930s UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, ''Native Son'' follows Bigger Thomas, a 20 year old African American man living with his family in the "Black Belt" of the South Side. The Thomases are forced to share a small, rat-infested, one-room apartment with just the bare necessities. Bigger, a notorious petty criminal, accepts a chauffering job from rich, white philanthropist Henry Dalton. During his very first night at work, he does the unthinkable and [[AccidentalMurder kills Dalton's young daughter, Mary]]. After failing to cover up his crime and escape the police, Bigger is put on trial for both murder ''[[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil and rape]]'', putting him at the mercy of a society and legal system that damns his name and skin color.

!!! ''Native Son'' presents examples of:

'''Native Son''' (1940) is a novel by Creator/RichardWright, best known as the author of ''Black Boy''. It is a prime example of the naturalist movement which uses realistic portrayals of society to suggest that environment shapes who we are.

* HopeSpot: Bigger's job with the Dalton's starts out well enough. By the end of his first day, it all comes crashing down.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Yes, this is used as a plot point. Bigger and his friends enjoy masturbating in a local movie theater, believing nobody can see them. This is later used against him when he is charged with raping Mary.

* AdaptationalSympathy: In the 1986 film adaptation, Bigger doesn't [[spoiler: rape and murder his girlfriend Bessie, so the only death he's responsible for is by accident]]. This is part and parcel of the film greatly downplaying Bigger's ThenLetMeBeEvil mindset.