Native Son: A Novel

by Richard Wright

intimate culture whose incentives, rewards, and punishments prevent the development of the type of personal standards, attitudes, and habits which the general community deems desirable.

fight injustice fearlessly; to cringe to no man; to choose one’s own life work; to resist with stout-hearted self-respect affronts to decent human dignity,

he passed his days trying to defeat or gratify powerful impulses in a world he feared.

with an air that made him feel that she did not hate him with the hate of other white people.

I scrubbed and washed and ironed from morning till night, day in and day out, as long as I had strength in my old body. I did all I know how, son, and if I left anything undone, it’s just ’cause I didn’t know. It’s just ‘cause your poor old ma couldn’t see, son.

“Forget me, Ma.”

“Lord, here we is, maybe for the last time. You gave me these children, Lord, and told me to raise ’em. If I failed. Lord, I did the best I could. (Ahmen!) These poor children’s been with me a long time and they’s all I got. Lord, please let me see ’em again after the sorrow and suffering of this world! (Hear her, Lawd!) Lord, please let me see ’em where I can love ’em in peace. Let me see ’em again beyond the grave! (Have mercy, Jesus!)

:'( :'(

Taken collectively, they are not simply twelve million people; in reality they constitute a separate nation, stunted, stripped, and held captive within this nation, devoid of political, social, economic, and property rights.