Study Guide
Native Son Book 3
“Fate”
As you begin to read this section, consider the varied meanings of the term “fate.”
(Definitions below were found on dictionary.com.)
fate
1. something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.
2. the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably
prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.
3. that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.
4. a prophetic declaration of what must be: The oracle pronounced their fate.
5. death, destruction, or ruin.
STUDENTS USING THIS GUIDE
I did NOT leave appropriate space for you to write answers on this guide. If you want to
jot down answers or notes, feel free to cut and paste the questions in a new document in
which you can leave as much space as you might need.
(Mrs. J. Bodnar)
1. After his capture, in what way(s) did Bigger refuse to cooperate with the police?
2. What had made Bigger feel free “for the first time in his life”?
3. After eating, what does Bigger ask to see?
How does he use this?
(What other alternatives might an incarcerated person have today?)
How does Richard Wright use this to convey to the reader information, both as
background and point of view?
4. How did Bigger react to Reverend Hammond ‘s visit?
5. What does Bigger think was “his first murder”?
6. How does Max become Bigger’s lawyer?
7. Who is Buckley?
8. How had the Daltons tried to help Bigger?
9. What does Max identify as “the fundamental problem”? (He uses this as a reason to
spare Bigger’s life.)
10. How do ping-pong tables come up? What could ping-pong represent in this context?
11. What important insight did Bigger gain from his intense discussion with Max?
12. One outstanding aspect of this book is the power of the arguments presented by the
lawyers in the trial.
What major points does Max make in favor of sparing Bigger’s life?
What arguments does Buckley use to convince the judge to sentence Bigger to death?
13. After the trial, how does Max explain some men’s hatred of other men to Bigger?
14. Note the use of dialog, description, and finally sound in the final few pages of the novel.
What/how does each contribute to your understanding of meaning and tone?
Questions for thought
A.
How does this part of the novel focus on alienation and isolation of Bigger and less
important characters? How did the other parts of the novel begin to establish this
theme?
B.
Why do you think Richard Wright wrote this novel? (Consider the original publication
date of 1940 as you answer this.)
C.
In what ways might our understanding of the novel today differ from its interpretation
by its original audience from 1940-1950?
D. Richard Wright was investigated as a communist.
How might this novel have created or
contributed to suspicion about Wright’s allegiance to American patriotism?
E.
Are we readers supposed to sympathize with Bigger? In what ways is he a seriously
flawed individual?
A final note: If your edition of Native Son includes the appendix, “How Bigger Was Born,” and
you have the time, go ahead and read it. It is very interesting. It will not, however, be a part of
any quiz or test until after I discuss it with you in class.