An Analysis Of Bigger's Anxiety In Native Son From The Perspective Of Freud's Anxiety Theory

Richard Wright?1908-1960?is one of the most important African American writers in the 20^th century.His masterpiece Native Son is considered as“protesting novel”.In this novel Wright vehemently condemns the racial discrimination and segregation in America.The novel imposes a profound influence on black American literature as well as the writing of American writers in the 20^th century.Therefore,Native Son is regarded as the milestone of the black literature and Wright is also called“The Father of Modern African American Novel”.Bigger Thomas,the protagonist of Native Son,is always suffering from the anxiety of conflict between inner desire and the reality.He constantly struggles against any forces that bound him.However,all his struggles are in vain.What's more,as Bigger's id is expanding excessively,his ego is too weak to keep a balance between the id and the superego.Therefore,the tragedy occurs.Up until now,the work of Native Son has been studied from many different perspectives,but few explore the work from the perspective of Freud's anxiety theory.This thesis will attempt to explore Bigger's anxiety from this point of view.According to the genesis of anxiety,anxiety can be divided into three types:reality anxiety,neurotic anxiety and moral anxiety.Through analyzing the three anxieties Bigger experiencing in the different stages as well as the discussion of the ego defense mechanisms adopted by Bigger against his anxieties,we will probe into Bigger's inner world so as to further look into the human situation with compassion.The thesis,apart from the introduction and conclusion,can be divided into three parts.The introduction first states the characteristics of Richard Wright's works and the summary of Native Son,and then it gives a presentation about literature review both at home and abroad.Next,it introduces the theoretical basis about the genesis of anxiety theory in Freud's psychoanalysis and several related conceptions about it.At the same time,the thesis also gives an account of ego defense mechanisms unconsciously employed by the protagonist in the novel.Lastly,it points out the research significance from this point of view and the basic structure of the thesis.Chapter One interprets Bigger's reality anxiety and ego defense mechanisms.They are mainly from Bigger's overcrowded,miserable family environment to fear of pervasive white power as well as the depressive psychology about the lack of self-development opportunity,which are illustrated from the family level,social level to the personal level respectively to account for Bigger's anxiety,including Bigger's utilization of ego defense mechanism to transfer his anxiety in this period.Chapter Two probes into the cause of Bigger's neurotic anxiety and points out the ego defense mechanisms used in this stage through analyzing Bigger's abnormal,rebellious personality and the hatred of his black identity as well as the inequality of the society.In this stage,Bigger unconsciously employs two ego defense mechanisms:displacement and reaction formation to reduce his anxiety.Chapter Three analyzes Bigger's moral anxiety and the ego defense mechanism,ranging from Bigger's realization of the hurt of his cruel violence to his family and his black folks to his repentance under the selfless help of Max and Jan as well as return of his humanity so as to dig out the cause for his moral anxiety.In this chapter Bigger employs sublimation.Such ego defense mechanism reduces his anxiety to some degree.However,throughout the novel,the ego defense mechanisms are utilized by Bigger in the extreme way,which can't prevent him from being sentenced to death in the electric chair.Through the analysis above,it can be seen that Bigger's tragedy is caused by the imbalance between ego in reality anxiety and superego in moral anxiety,which makes him fall into the predicament of moral anxiety.In addition,he chooses the ego defense mechanisms in the improper way,which leads him on his way to crime.By analyzing the novel in the light of Freud's anxiety theory,the thesis provides a new way to think about the modern man's state of mind.Anxiety is very common to human being.To some extent,Bigger's tragedy as well as his restoration of humanity can arouse our emotional empathy and purify our souls.It will help us to become more tolerant of each other as well.