Symbols: the basis of any literary work. Without symbols, books become boring and lifeless. Symbols help the reader discover deeper meaning. In Richard Wright's novel Native Son, symbols are used to show death, faith, and life in a white-dominated world. In the first book, readers discover the rat. Bigger is shown trying to destroy the rat. When the rat has died, it appears as a “flat, black body… [with] two yellow tusks” (6). With this death, Bigger's killing streak begins. The rat's gruesome death foreshadows the gruesome deaths of Mary Dalton and Bessie Mears. Mary's death, while not gruesome at first, suddenly turns violent when Bigger "sawed the blade through the flesh...[and] drove the ax blade through the throat bone" (92 ). Although Mary initially died from suffocation, the act of cutting off her head is as disturbing as the death of the rat. However, Bessie's death was terrifying from the start. Bessie was murdered in the most atrocious manner. Bessie is not only raped, but bludgeoned to death by Bigger "[lifting] the brick again and again" (237). Bessie's gruesome death is the worst of all deaths. Bessie appears to have done nothing wrong, but she is murdered by Bigger out of fear. Wright's use of the rat as a symbol shows how death is a horrible event in life. Wright's use of the cross helps readers recognize faith. After Bigger's arrest, he is soon visited by his mother's pastor, Reverend Hammond. The Reverend visits Bigger to try to convince him that he should have faith in God. After praying for Bigger, Reverend Hammond “[takes] from his pocket a wooden cross with a chain on top” (286). The Reverend then placed it around Bigger's neck where it "[hangs] close to the skin of Bigger's chest" (286). The cross presented to Bigger is Hammond's attempt to force Bigger to believe and hope for something better. The cross is seen again when Bigger leaves the Dalton house, but this time it is in a negative light. As Bigger exits the Dalton house, he sees an “[imminent]…burning cross” (337). Bigger then wonders if “the white people [wanted] him to love Jesus too” (337). Only when people shout at him does it become a cross of hatred, not love and faith. When Bigger returns to the van, he "grabs the cross and rips it from his throat.” (338).