This post will look at the narrative techniques in Native Son by Richard Wright. Hopefully, other literary elements will be examined later in this blog.
3 Major Narrative Techniques in Native Son by Richard Wright:-
(1) Foreshadowing Technique: This is a technique used indirectly to give a hint of a future outcome in a story. This clue can be placed in the admonition of a character or in a particular setting.
In the chapter one, page 39 of Native Son, Bigger’s mother told him “Well, I’m telling you again! And mark my word, some of these days you going to set down and cry. Some of these days you going to wish you had made something out of yourself, instead of just a tramp. But it’ll be too late then”.
(2) Omniscient Technique: When the narrator has the absolute power over characters, emotions and events in a story; we have an omniscient narrator. The narrative goes in third person point of view in which the narrator sees it all.
Richard Wright in Native Son has eyes over everything; he knew when the alarm woke the Thomas family, at the same time understand the happenings in Dalton’s family. He knew every step and thought of Bigger Thomas. For instance, here is what the author says of Bigger Thomas feeling in page 303: “There was no day for him now, and there was no night; there was but a long stretch of time, a long stretch of time that was very short; and then_ the end. Toward no one in the world did he feel any fear now, for he knew that fear was useless; and toward no one in the world did he feel any hate now, for he knew that hate would not help him.”
(3) Flashback Technique: This is an interjected scene or point that takes the narrative back in time from the current point; it is simply called a recall which can be done in varying means either by dreaming, mesmerizing, remembering, reminding, etc. There are many instances of flashbacks done by Bigger Thomas in the story to recapture his fugitive journey before his final trial in the court of law.
There were flashbacks in page 307: “hearing his heart pound against his ribs with his fingers upon the pillow pressing down upon Mary’s face to keep her from mumbling” (this is a flashback to how he suffocated Mary Dalton). “…the memory of Bessie and the milk she had warmed for him came back strongly. Then the image of her death came and he closed his eyes, trying to forget.” (a flashback on the scene of love with his girlfriend before she killed her)
Native Son by Richard Wright centered on Bigger Thomas (a victim of discrimination) whose fear and inferiority led him into murders. Bigger is raised by a single mother in a state of ill-fated poverty.
