"The dramatic conflict of Native Son takes place primarily in the mind of the main character, Bigger Thomas, who lives in a world of illusions and dreams peppered with white colors and blacks, and reds. For Bigger, all life is conflict and problems, awash in color…” (Amis 240). a turbulent time in America for race relations Despite the decline of anti-racist organizations, racism was stronger than ever, especially in Chicago In Richard Wright's novel Native Son, readers are made aware of racial tensions and perspectives. of each race and how they affected the other The main character of the story, Bigger Thomas, is shrouded in symbols of color and race throughout the book, as Wright uses them as a tool to enable. readers to understand the issues and effects of race. "Of course it was all a game, and the whites and the rich whites weren't so harsh on the blacks; because it was the poor whites who hated the blacks because they didn't have not their share of their money” (Wright 33) This excerpt from the beginning of the novel is a window opening the idea of ​​racism to the book Although this is not the first time race has been mentioned, this specific explanation helps. readers to understand the type of racial ideologies represented in the story and during the time period in which it takes place After being hired to work for the Daltons, Bigger meets Mr. and Mrs. Dalton He believes that Mr. Dalton is being deceptive about. to the way he acts towards black people Even though he gives money to organizations that he believes will benefit black people and improve their lives, he does nothing to improve the living conditions of those. who live...... middle of paper ......n. Symbolism is an important tool that readers can use to understand the underlying messages and themes of the book that are not as clearly written. The backbone of Bigger Thomas' story is color, which is mentioned on almost every page. The way color relates to certain people and things, such as Peggy, the Dalton family, Jan's family and friends, Britten and Bigger, the embers in the oven, Dalton's cat and the snow, is a connection for readers for more information. easily understand the significance of the effects of racism that Richard Wright is trying to make understood. Bigger's frequent return to the stove and constant reference to color emphasize the importance of this symbolism in the story. Color is found in the subtext, as it is not always clearly stated. Finding the underlying meaning is one important reason why Native Son is such an influential book on race..