Native Sons

     The segregation and racial discrimination that is currently going on in the American society is overwhelming, especially due to the dark times that were suffered in our nation's past during the Civil War. All of these feelings and emotions are well encompassed in the book Native Son, even though it was written during the 1930s. 

      One of the most special and touching moments in which the reader truly gets a sense of an African American's life during these times was during Max's speech in Bigger's trial. Max is a Communist who is in charge of shedding light and spreading the truth about Bigger's decisions and actions. Ultimately, Max wants the white community to see the injustice and criticism Bigger has had to live with since his very birth. Max calls Bigger a test symbol since Bigger is representing the African American community and everything in correlation to it. The poverty and unreliable leaders these people have had to live and grow up with are all caused by the over-protected white community. Max in its totality is trying to make the white people feel guilty and ashamed since they were the ones who caused the under-privileged to have this mentality and stereotype as a murder.