Native Son is a critically acclaimed best-selling novel by Richard Wright (1908-1960) that tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a poor and uneducated black man. Bigger's life on the South Side of Chicago (a predominantly African-American area) is miserable, and he remains bitter and angry about his social status, which involves the constant burden of being black in a white man's world. He is convinced that he has no control over his life and that, because of the color of his skin, he will never be anything more than a low-wage worker. Greater represents the significant problems of America during Richard Wright's lifetime: racism, violence, and the degradation of African Americans. Through Bigger, Wright forces the reader to enter the mind of an oppressed black man and understand the effects of the demoralizing social conditions in which African Americans were raised in the early 20th century. Throughout the book, it is thoroughly established that not all of Bigger's crimes are his fault: part of the blame for his crimes must be placed on the fearful and hopeless existence that society has imposed on African Americans since their birth. Through the use of numerous literary techniques, Richard Wright makes a thundering statement about race relations in the 1930s and how racism played a key role in influencing the lives and decisions of many African Americans during this time period. Wright uses symbolism extensively throughout the book. in order to describe how racism affected the lives and decisions of African Americans in the pre-World War II era. These symbols are extremely effective as they open the reader to the harsh truth about race relations in the 1930s, making them explore their own beliefs on the subject. The first large symbol used... in the center of the card... was born before he was even born. Richard Wright effectively declared the effects of racism on the lives and decisions of African Americans through the use of Foreshadowing in Native Son. Through the use of Symbolism and Foreshadowing in Native Son, Richard Wright makes a powerful statement about race relations in the 1930s and how racism played a key role in influencing the lives and decisions of many African Americans during this time period . Wright used this book as a platform to tell the world how the racist society of the 20th century shaped the lives of African Americans in the United States. He improved the book through numerous literary techniques and because of his pioneering literary work, African Americans live in a much better society today. Works Cited Wright, Richard. Native son. Restored edition ed. 1940. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993. Print.