Native Son (Vintage Classics)

by Richard Wright

“Sometimes I feel like something awful’s going to happen to me,” Bigger spoke with a tinge of bitter pride in his voice. “What you mean?” Gus asked, looking at him quickly. There was fear in Gus’s eyes. “I don’t know. I just feel that way. Every time I get to thinking about me being black and they being white, me being here and they being there, I feel like something awful’s going to happen to me….” “Aw, for Chrissakes! There ain’t nothing you can do about it. How come you want to worry yourself? You black and they make the laws….” “Why they make us live in one corner of the city? Why don’t they let us fly planes and run ships….” Gus hunched Bigger with his elbow and mumbled good-naturedly, “Aw, nigger, quit thinking about it. You’ll go nuts.”