The Existing Bigger--The Influence Of Kierkegaard's Existentialist Thoughts On Native Son

Richard Wright is a great African American writer of the twentieth century. Hismasterpiece, Native Son, is considered the milestone of African American literature.After its publication, the novel shocked not only the American literary field but thewhole society as well, it aroused great attention of a number of readers and critics.Famous American critic Irving Howe once said that "the day Native Son appeared,American culture was changed for ever."This thesis applies Kierkegaard's existentialist thoughts to analyze the culturaland psychological aspects of Native Son so as to reveal the causes of Bigger's tragedythrough his desire of achieving self-identity as an existential human being.In Introduction, Wright's life experience is surveyed, followed by a brief accountof the novel and various discussions and criticisms about it in literary field.Chapter One briefly introduces the origin, the development of Existentialism, itsinfluence on American literature and Native Son, along with a brief introduction toKierkegaard's existentialist thought of self and choice.Chapter Two elaborates on the influence of Kierkegaard's existentialist thoughtof self on Native Son. Bigger achieves self-identity through the self-development fromsimplicity to growth and eventual maturation.Chapter Three elaborates on the influence of Kierkegaard's existentialist thoughtof choice on Native Son. The African Americans have no right to choose in the whitedominatedsociety, while under such a circumstance Bigger achieves his pursuit ofself-identity through the killing of a white woman which is done by his own choice.The conclusion is that Bigger's tragedy is not only the result of the outsideAmerican social system. As an existential human being, he constantly seeks for selfidentity,and this is just the inner cause of his tragedy.