The Violent Pursuit Of Authenticity In The Predicament: An Existentialist Study Of Native Son

Native Son, as a milestone work in African American literature, creates aviolent black rebel, Bigger Thomas for the first time. As Reilly comments in theafterword:“This novel, with a nightmare vision of destructive violence at its core, isprofoundly creative”(393). As a philosophical trend, Existentialism is widelyaccepted due to its concerns about the predicament and value of human existence.Based on the analytical method of intensive reading and the philosophicaltheory of Sartre, especially focusing on “Predicament”,“Freedom”,“Authenticity”and “Responsibility”, this thesis will probe into Native Son and expound on thehero’s violent pursuit of authenticity in the predicament of the existence, by whichachieves his authenticity and existing values as well as realizes his responsibilityresulted from his irrational violent behaviors.Through the analysis, this thesis wants to show the humanistic insight of theauthor into the racial problems and deep concerns about the sufferings of the AfricanAmericans：On one hand, it points out it is the prejudice and the oppression of thewhite that result in the black’s violent behaviors like Bigger; on the other hand, itsuggests that the black should take a more rational means and attitude to fight fortheir rights when confronted with the imposed sufferings and predicament. If the twoforces, the white and the black, cannot reconcile with each other, there will be morerebels and victims.The main body of the thesis consists of three chapters. In the first chapter, itdiscusses the predicament of the existence for Bigger by using the theory of“Existence precedes essence” and “Hell is other people”, exposing the despairingworld and alienated interpersonal relationship around the hero. In the second chapter,it focuses on his longings and his violent pursuit. With the use of “Freedom” and“Authenticity”, it illustrates Bigger’s longings for authenticity and the process of hisviolent pursuit when facing the predicament of his existence. In the third chapter, itexpounds the revelation of his violent pursuit of authenticity based on “Authenticity” and “Responsibility”. In the end, Bigger achieves his authenticity physically andspiritually by the violent means. However, he should be responsible for his violentand bloody crimes. At the same time, what Bigger has done is a warning to the whitefor both the Party who is no pragmatic doctrines and the mainstream society who isracial-biased.As a result, Native Son written by Richard Wright is beyond the scope ofregion, race and time, enlightening the ordinary people in life: when facing thepredicament and hoping to realize the existing values, People should take a rationalattitude and a proper choice without harming the surroundings. At the same time, itsuggests that people are born with equality and there is no difference among peoplewith regard to class or race and inferiority or superiority.